f.a.q.

+ Can I follow you on Facebook? Twitter? Instagram?

Yes! Here’s where you can find us:

Project VOICE: Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

Phil Kaye: Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

+ I’m a student, how can I bring Project VOICE to my school?

Thanks for your interest and enthusiasm! We’d be happy to talk about making it out to your school. The quickest way to get that conversation started is by telling a teacher or administrator how excited you are about Project VOICE, and then having them take a look at our website or introduction video and send us a message through our Book Us page. We hope to see you soon!

+ I would like to perform one of your poems for my speech/debate/drama club/competition/talent show. Can I have permission to perform your poem?

You absolutely have permission to perform any of our pieces as long as you cite authorship, and as long as it is for education or not-for-profit purposes. If you are looking for a transcript, please read the next question.

+ Is there a place to find the text of your poems online?

Unfortunately there isn’t a place where we post the text of our poems online. The best place to find them is in our books. (You should check the Table of Contents online first to make sure it includes the poem you’re looking for.)

+ Can I become a member of Project VOICE? Do you offer internships?

We love that you are looking to spread the magic of poetry! We are so honored you are in support of Project VOICE and the work we do. At the moment, Project VOICE is not taking on any unsolicited new members or interns. But you can most definitely use poetry as a tool of service or education without being directly under the Project VOICE umbrella. Nothing makes us happier than hearing about folks writing, sharing, and using poetry as a tool to help both themselves and the people around them. Keep up the good work.

+ When will you be performing in my city?

The best places to find out about our tour schedule is our Tour Page.

+ I just found out you’re performing at a school nearby! Can I come to the performance and/or attend the workshop?

If a performance is open to the general public, we’ll make sure to note that on our Tour Page. Unfortunately though, if it is not listed as open to the public, that means it is being hosted by a school or organization and is usually not open to visitors. You’re welcome to reach out to the hosting school directly and see if you can have special permission to come.

+ Can I film your performance?

We ask that you do not film our performances. We believe the magic of spoken word happens in the live act, so we encourage our audiences to put away their electronics and enjoy. We periodically put new footage of our work online, so you don’t have to worry about doing it.

+ Can you read some poems I’ve written?

Our team reads every email, and we are happy to take a look at your poem. Unfortunately, due to the high number of emails we receive and because we are traveling constantly, we aren’t able to respond and give feedback on the poems we get. Instead, we’d encourage you to find a place in your local community where you can share your work. That might be with your friends, at your school, or even a local open mic!

We understand your confusion. It’s a wild story. This poem tries to explain through poetry.

But here are the cold, hard facts.

Sarah Kay is a half-Japanese, half-Jewish Spoken Word Poet

Phil Kaye is a half-Japanese, half-Jewish Spoken Word Poet

Sarah Kay has a little brother whose name is Philip Kay

Phil Kaye has a little sister whose name is Aurora Sarah Kaye

Phil and Sarah met for the first time at 18 years old, when they both performed Spoken Word Poetry in the same Freshmen Talent Show at Brown University

Some of Sarah’s cousins live in Orange County, and a few of them knew Phil in high school or on the basketball court.

One summer, while she was visiting her cousins in California, Sarah joined the local Junior Lifeguards Program, a summer camp of over 1,000 kids that has a morning session and an afternoon session. Phil, a native of the area, was also enrolled in the program. Sarah and Phil had the same small group counselor (who overlooked only about 25 kids!), but Sarah attended morning session and Phil attended afternoon session, and their paths never crossed.

We have done extensive research, and we promise we aren’t related. We also promise we aren’t married. Or dating. Or ever plan on dating. We promise.

+ I am a teacher, and I want to bring Spoken Word Poetry into my classroom. How do I start teaching this weird art form?

Invite us to your school! ;)

Really though, this question takes more than a quick answer. We dedicate a ton of our time to figuring out how to teach spoken word poetry in the classroom. We build lesson plans and curricula that tackle Spoken Word from different angles. We also spend time training teachers to do what we do, since we can’t be in every classroom, and we want to reach as many people as we can. If you are a teacher dedicated to bringing Spoken Word to your students, we salute you! We can’t explain all our secrets here, but you can write us an email for a bit more info and we’ll do our best!

In the meantime, one of the principles we believe in is exposing students to as many different styles and forms of spoken word as possible. We love using multi-media when we teach, to give students access to different approaches to spoken word. For a cheat-sheet of some of our favorites, you can check out this playlist of spoken word poetry that Sarah Kay put together for YouTube, in celebration of National Poetry Month. This isn’t everybody, but it’s a good place to start! Warning: the list is rated PG 13!