Hal Sirowitz

Hal Sirowitz (born 1949) is an American poet.

Sirowitz first began to attract attention at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe where he was a frequent competitor in their Friday Night Poetry Slam. He eventually made the 1993 Nuyorican Poetry Slam team, and competed in the 1993 National Poetry Slam (held that year in San Francisco) along with his Nuyorican teammates Maggie Estep, Tracie Morris and Regie Cabico.Aptowicz, Cristin O'Keefe. (2008). "Words in Your Face: A Guided Tour Through Twenty Years of the New York City Poetry Slam." New York City: Soft Skull Press. "Chapter 14: First and Always; Graduates from the NYC Poetry Slam's First Wave" Page 122. ISBN 1-933-36882-9.] .

Sirowitz would later perform his poetry on stages across the country, and on television programs such as MTV's "Spoken Word: Unplugged"http://www.tv.com/mtv-unplugged/show/3400/episode_guide.html&printable=1 | MTV's "Unplugged" series Episode Guide] and PBS's "The United States of Poetry"http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1719816/ | Hal Sirowitz on IMDB.com] .

He has written six books on poetry and is arguably best known for the volumes "Mother Said", "My Therapist Said" and "Father Said".

Sirowitz is a 1994 recipient of an NEA Fellowship in PoetryAptowicz, Cristin O'Keefe. (2008). "Words in Your Face: A Guided Tour Through Twenty Years of the New York City Poetry Slam." New York City: Soft Skull Press. "Chapter 14: First and Always; Graduates from the NYC Poetry Slam's First Wave" Page 123. ISBN 1-933-36882-9.] and is the former Poet Laureate of Queens. He worked as a special education teacher in the New York public school system for 23 years.He is married to the writer Mary Minter Krotzer.

Sirowitz abroad

Sirowitz is the best-selling translated poet in Norway, where "Mother Said" has been adapted for the stage and turned into a series of animated cartoons.

References

External links

*http://www.halsirowitz.com/
*http://halsirowitz.homestead.com/
* [http://www.indiefeedpp.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=283096 Hal Sirowitz performing "Chopped Off Arm" (podcast)]