Bum Rush the Page: A Def Poetry Jam

by Tony Medina (Editor), Louis Reyes Rivera (Editor), Sonia Sanchez (Foreword)

Bum Rush the Page is a groundbreaking collection, capturing the best new work from the poets who have brought fresh energy, life, and relevance to American poetry.

“Here is a democratic orchestration of voices and visions, poets of all ages, ethnicities, and geographic locations coming together to create a dialogue and to jam–not slam. This is our mouth on paper, our hearts on our sleeves, our refusal to shut up and swallow our silence. These poems are tough, honest, astute, perceptive, lyrical, blunt, sad, funny, heartbreaking, and true. They shout, they curse, they whisper, and sing. But most of all, they tell it like it is.”
–Tony Medina, from the Introduction

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Music

320 pages, Paperback

First published October 23, 2001

About the author

Tony Medina is a poet, graphic novelist, editor, short story writer, and author. Born in the South Bronx and raised in the Throgs Neck Housing Projects, Medina earned a BA in English at Baruch College, CUNY, on the GI Bill, and an MA and PhD at Binghamton University, SUNY, where he received the Distinguished Dissertation Award. Medina has published 22 books for adults and young readers, the most recent of which are Che Che Colé; Death, With Occasional Smiling; Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Boy; I Am Alfonso Jones; and Resisting Arrest: Poems to Stretch the Sky. Medina’s awards include the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, the Langston Hughes Society Award, the first African Voices Literary Award, the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award honor, and Special Recognition from the Arnold Adoff Poetry Award. He has appeared in several documentaries and CD compilations and has read/performed his work all over the United States, as well as in Germany, France, Poland, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and the Netherlands. The first professor of creative writing at Howard University, Medina’s poetry, fiction and essays appear in over 100 journals and anthologies, including Sheree Renée Thomas' Dark Matter, Ishmael Reed’s Hollywood Unchained and Kevin Young’s Library of America anthology, African American Poetry: 250 Years of Struggle & Song, and as an advisory editor for Nikki Giovanni’s Hip Hop Speaks to Children. Medina has also been featured on NBC's philanthropic reality show, Give, PBS’ White House Chronicle, CBS’ Great Day Washington, SiriusXM’s Kids Place Live, Medgar Evers College’s Writers on Writing, Forbes magazine, and has worked extensively with the non-profit literary organizations Say It Loud, Behind the Book, and Meet the Writers. Medina's book, Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Black Boy, was featured on Let's Learn NYC for PBS. Follow him on Facebook; Twitter: @PoetTonyMedina and Instagram: poettonymedina. His website is tonymedina.org.

Reviews

[Keegan LaKosh]

Bum Rush the page is a poetry book with hundreds of authors. Cover to cover, a plethora of poetry submerges the hundreds of pages with countless topics. Each person can relate somehow to these poems, which is why it appeals to people in every age group and ethnicity. There's political poems, cultural poems, racist poems, rhythmic poems, sexual poems, some completely random and miscellaneous poems that I could not understand, and some truly passionate ones. Ones that inspired me to strive to do better and make this world a better place. A few really grasped my attention making me understand what the huge rant was about poetry slam, this book changed my opinion on poetry itself.

I enjoy reading all kinds of poetry, but this one caught my attention due to the word choice by the author, Gwendolyn Brooks, and the hidden meaning I admired in it. "I think of the hands that put that strength together....Hands coming away from cold to take a challenge and mold this definition....Forgiving the human spirit that can outwit big Building boasting in the cityworld." The "hands" meaning the support system one has from their family, friends, and connections one has made in a life time. "Put that strength together", to support one and mold one. To have a courageous attitude in order to succeed in the real world.

I believe in being passionate about what you love to do, "you cannot fall, in love with a man, who has HIV, she said, I cannot fall, I cannot fall, you cant not fall, in love, and statistics, statistics say, he is doomed.....and so is cancer and I, am in remission and it, could come back, and kill me.....and he could be alive, for another, 13, years." As I read this poem I began to cry. There was so much passion and intensity behind those words. Knowing there was so much love between two people and statistics say they have no chance. But, they believe hope will keep them alive. Because there's enough passion and love, and because you never know. He could be alive for another 13 years.

Anyone who picks up this book will read at least a few things that catch there attention. I had a hard time putting the book down, and after I finished it I re-read the ones that stood out. There are many that are very vivid, and choppy. Others that are long and flowy with a rhythmic tone. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to read a lot of meaningful poetry!

[Gayle Hyde · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book of contemporary poetry fantastic for my speech students. It is difficult to find longer pieces of contemporary poetry for my students who want edgy material. This certainly fit the bill.

[she.likes.books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great poems in this book! It took me a while to finish this book because of the volume of the poems in the book. I just wanted to take my time and not rush through them. I found a lot of favorites.

[Behind The Book · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of poems is simply incredible. It is an anthology of works that each showcase the difficulties and small triumphs of minority groups in various cities around America. The poems are unsympathetic and achingly truthful, which makes the read highly cathartic and enjoyable. It is clear that the poets feel their work, and it is very easy pretend they are reading to you, which makes the entire experience more personal and direct.

What is, perhaps, most important about these poems is that it draws back long-lost attention to poetry and to the stories of people so often forgotten. It makes the hardships of poverty and oppression and hatred visible again, and it does so in a way that illuminates the simultaneous inevitability and difficulty of social change.

Bum Rush the Page also makes inventive use of humor, irony, and metaphor, and can certainly be used as a relevant way to teach these skills to young, aspiring writers and readers.

This is a marvelous read.

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is truly my first poetry book that I have ever read from cover to cover. Once past that, I must say that this is a GREAT book. It is Def Jam poetry, and the entire time that I am reading it, I am picturing a slam poet (I am so lucky to have seen a few in college, and on TV) perform it.

Some of these poems truly were awe-inspiring, and really make me stop and think. (And, of course, some are not as intellectual...) But what I love about Def Jam/Slam poetry is that it covers topics that mean something to every day people--and then shoves it down their throats. Don't get me wrong, Emily will always hold a special place in my heart, but she is not as easily understood as this type of poetry.

I hope that I found some poems my students will enjoy, too!

[Burke Scarbrough · Rating 4 out of 5]

I experienced some SLAM poetry in NYC, but it was only after meeting some young national finalists in Rochester that I really understood how powerful this work is. There are 16-year-olds speaking out with power and grace that I simply never heard growing up. This book is a good starting point for hearing mostly older voices doing the same. I'm told the Def Poetry DVD series is amazing too. If you thought poetry was for library readings and public speaking was for board meetings, check this out.

[Mugren Ohaly · Rating 1 out of 5]

The introduction of this book is a part about how poetry doesn't matter anymore, it's all in the performance. I find it sad that those poems the editor talks about are the majority of this book. Few meaningful poems and stories get lost amongst the jumble of weak words that deliver nothing on paper, simply because they aren't backed by a performance.

Just because you have something to say, doesn't mean it's poetry.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome! I purchased a copy after attending my first poetry slam and what an experience it was! Hands down, it's worth the purchase just for "The Wussy Boy Manifesto" alone! Great for a good laugh or cry, and always handy when you'd like to read but don't have time to get involved in a relationship with characters in a novel. I'm always smiling when I return it to the shelf.

[Ebony · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BOOK I LOVE DEF JAM ITSELF. RUSSEL SIMMONS IS SUCH A SUCCESSFUL AFRICAN AMERICAN AND THE POEMS IN THE BOOK I CAN RELATE TO BECAUSE I AM TOO A POET. I'VE ACTUALLY READ IT TWICE ;) but i am dying to to go to see DEF POETRY SLAM that would one of my all time dream

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetry as an art form never ceases to amaze me.

[Wendell]

Poem: "Scout."

[Lucinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The thing I love about this book is that I can read it starting at whatever page I am on. Very nice. Great poetry yet some are quite controversial (but fun).

[Miami University Libraries]

King Library (2nd floor) | PS615 .B86 2001

[Cynequa Marie Sain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent tome of contemporary voices with ancestral spirit. In the spirit of the Griot.

[Andrea]

biased. I have a poem in the book.

[Ladana Ballard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one and Rip the Pages are beautiful. Powerful and soulful.

[ACRL]

Read by ACRL Member of the Week Pia M. Hunter. Learn more about Pia on the ACRL Insider blog.

[Jamey Boelhower · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of poetry is not meant to be read once or with a casual eye. It is meant to be felt, like music. It hits hard, it whispers, and it speaks a truth that takes time to digest.

[Regin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truely love the way the book was structured

[thatch · Rating 3 out of 5]

An incredible collection of purely poetry written by POC, which I was delighted to find so I could open up my poetry consumption to a more diverse library. While the poems did not resonate with me entirely (as expected, and I understand), I could see the emotion and pain and joy and everything behind the words of these poets, and I love that lesser known unpublished poets were included in this book, too.
That being said, there were a few poems in here that were weirdly transphobic/homophobic, that left a bad taste in my mouth, regardless of if I related to them or not. Because of that I’m giving this a 3.5, because it upset me to not see a SINGLE queer poet in this book- not a single one, which is really disheartening when so much of the LGBTQ+ community is owed to the contribution of POC. I feel like an opportunity to really show the whole spectrum of experience and intersectionality wasn’t taken, and I’m a bit disappointed. Still enjoyed it for the most part!

[Danni Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot of incredible, raw, powerful poetry in this book! I read many of them several times. I would be remiss if I did not mention, however, that there is virtually no explicitly-LGBTQ content, which felt like queer erasure, especially with some poems that sort of bulldozed over queer narratives in a way that felt appropriative.

cw: racism, sexual violence, cops, gun violence, many graphic descriptions of various types of violence, some misogynist and/or ableist and/or queer misappropriation

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to purchase this book in order to revisit these vividly beautiful pieces again and again.

[Lora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am very obviously not the audience for a lot of the pieces here, but all were a good reminder of my privilege. All were eye opening glimpses into another way to think about poetry and writing.

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read! Collection of poems. Happy, sad, thought provoking.. some may not be your thing but alas there are a lot of them to read.

[behsforensics]

Cutting is for American Poetry
By Ras Baraka

Another cutting is for It’s Called Kings
By Susana Cabanas

Yet another cutting is for Creed of a Graffiti Writer
By Steven Bonafide Rojas

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

A real nice collection. Very inspiring.

[Misti Rainwater-Lites · Rating 1 out of 5]

gawd no...anyone willing to trade?