Respect the Mic: Celebrating 20 Years of Poetry from a Chicagoland High School

by Hanif Abdurraqib (Editor), Peter Kahn (Editor), Dan "Sully" Sullivan (Editor)

An expansive, moving poetry anthology, representing 20 years of poetry from students and alumni of Chicago's Oak Park River Forest High School Spoken Word Club.

Poets I know sometimes joke that the poetry club at Oak Park River Forest High School is the best MFA program in the Chicagoland area. Like all great jokes, this one is dead serious. -Eve L. Ewing, award-winning poet, playwright, scholar, and sociologist

For Chicago's Oak Park and River Forest High School's Spoken Word Club, there is one phrase that reigns supreme: Respect the Mic. It's been the club's call to arms since its inception in 1999. As its founder Peter Kahn says, It's a call of pride and history and tradition and hope.

This vivid new collection of poetry and prose -- curated by award-winning and bestselling poets Hanif Abdurraqib, Franny Choi, Peter Kahn, and Dan Sully Sullivan -- illuminates just that, uplifting the incredible legacy this community has cultivated. Among the dozens of current students and alumni, Respect the Mic features work by NBA star Iman Shumpert, National Youth Poet Laureates Kara Jackson and Natalie Richardson, comedian Langston Kerman, and more.

In its pages, you hear the sprawling echoes of students, siblings, lovers, new parents, athletes, entertainers, scientists, and more --all sharing a deep appreciation for the power of storytelling. A celebration of the past, a balm for the present, and a blueprint for the future, Respect the Mic offers a tender, intimate portrait of American life, and conveys how in a world increasingly defined by separation, poetry has the capacity to bind us together.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Anthologies, Audiobook, Education

176 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2022

About the author

Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist, and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio. His poetry has been published in Muzzle, Vinyl, PEN American, and various other journals. His essays and music criticism have been published in The FADER, Pitchfork, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. His first full length poetry collection, The Crown Ain't Worth Much, was released in June 2016 from Button Poetry. It was named a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Book Prize, and was nominated for a Hurston-Wright Legacy Award. With Big Lucks, he released a limited edition chapbook, Vintage Sadness, in summer 2017 (you cannot get it anymore and he is very sorry.) His first collection of essays, They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us, was released in winter 2017 by Two Dollar Radio and was named a book of the year by Buzzfeed, Esquire, NPR, Oprah Magazine, Paste, CBC, The Los Angeles Review, Pitchfork, and The Chicago Tribune, among others. He released Go Ahead In The Rain: Notes To A Tribe Called Quest with University of Texas press in February 2019. The book became a New York Times Bestseller, and was met with critical acclaim. His second collection of poems, A Fortune For Your Disaster, was released in 2019 by Tin House. He is a graduate of Beechcroft High School.

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book especially for but not limited to high school English/poetry teachers:

I am so proud to be able to say I have several personal connections with Respect the Mic: Celebrating 20 Years of Poetry from a Chicagoland High School, published by Penguin Random House (I know, quite a score for this kind of thing, which you wouldn’t think would attract a major publisher, even a teen imprint, but what a model for other schools and cities!!). I live in Oak Park and have worked with the legendary Pete Kahn’s Spoken Word Club off and on for a few years, and count him as a friend.

This is the group that is featured in the documentary Louder Than a Bomb (LTAB), a an exciting film you need to see especially if you teach middle and high school spoken word/poetry. LTAB began here in Chicago with the inspiration of PK and others at Young Chicago Authors, and they get huge crowds for poetry, yes, they do. The model has traveled to New York and NOLA and London, and so many other cities. Raucous events, not yr gramma’s church-like poetry readings (though audiences are encouraged to “respect the mic” and be quiet and honor the courage of the person performing, too). The foundation for LTAB itself may have happened in the Green Mill working class poetry slam events begun in the late eighties by the likes of Marc Smith and Patricia Smith (herself the queen of slam, a multiple national winner).

One reason you might like to read this book is because, as PK makes clear, the OPRFHS approach is the”page before stage” approach, which is to say it is about privileging the development and honing of the written word over performance, over spectacle, though the group reading performances are fun (I have gone to the showcases for years, and I am proud to say my own daughter L. just performed in one!). The point is that the writing is good, and this is not--most of it--teen poetry, but the continuing process of writing by OPRFHS SWC grads.

I am proud to name drop the names of many people I know, including editor Dan Sulliban, Will walden, Adam Levin, Langston Kerman (now a Comedy Central-level comedian), Iman Shumpert (NBA Basketball star, yes he was in the OPRF SW club! I don’t know him, actually, but I heard him perform in 2008), Nova Venerable (who was my neighbor!). Isaiah Makar, David Gilmer, and so many over the years.

Here’s the online book launch I attended (one hour) which you could sample:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCJPa...

An interview with Pete Kahn:

https://diversebooks.org/qa-with-pete...

[Dr. Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Penguin Teen & Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I remember when I took a high school field trip to OPRF to talk to the current members of Louder than a Bomb. It was an inspiring and enlightening experience and while I never joined spoken word, it's an art form I love and that always makes me feel deeply. Respect the Mic was no different. I had chills through most of this collection. These authors know how to evoke emotional imagery in the best ways. You can't read this and not feeling something.

I enjoyed all of the poems in this collection. The way they are sorted into three categories with a the small intro before each section worked so well for me. I loved the reflections from past LTAB members and how spoken word changed their lives. I'm so glad I requested this one, it 100% went over and above my expectations.

CWs (Moderate): Body shaming, bullying, child abuse, death of parent, domestic abuse, fatphobia, grief, mental illness, police brutality, pregnancy, racism, self harm, suicidal thoughts, transphobia/transmisia, violence.

[Marti (Letstalkaboutbooksbaybee) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This poetry anthology represents the past 20 years of poetry from one Chicago high school in the Oak Park area.

“For Chicago's Oak Park and River Forest High School's Spoken Word Club, there is one phrase that reigns supreme: Respect the Mic. It's been the club's call to arms since its inception in 1999. As its founder Peter Kahn says, "It's a call of pride and history and tradition and hope." “

This collection of poetry and prose uplifts voices from the community from students and alumni of years past.

I thought this collection was great! I loved all the different poetry styles and rhythms that each poet had to offer. I think the stories told within these short pages were enlightening and entertaining as much as they were heartbreaking and wholesome.


Thanks to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Stephanie Ridiculous · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great collection! I have a strong affection for youth poetry; I spent many a day of my own teenagedom writing poems, hearing poems, performing poems; scouring my experiences for a good turn of phrase. This collection is like most; some really outstanding poems, a few that I didn't resonate with, but most were enjoyable and/or touching!

[Summer Behling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful writing + curation

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Audiobook)

Loved the references to Chicago and Indiana.

One poem that stuck out to me: the author said men don’t care that women are made of paper, they rip the edges and autograph on the places that hurt the most.

[Marie Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Respect the Mic is a powerful poetry anthology that touches on racism, familial relationships, grief, identity and a variety of other topics. These poems, written by the students and alumni of the Oak Park River Forest High School Spoken Word Club in Chicago, are relatable, heartbreaking and inspiring. Respect the Mic offers a glimpse into the lives of gifted writers from different walks of life, who were all brought together by one thing: the power of poetry.

[Janessa Paun · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars. I really liked the poems besides the one about having mixed race children, I just didn't like it as someone who is biracial myself. I was so pleasantly surprised to see Iman Shumpert's poem in this book, he's someone whose interviews I've loved watching and I was not expecting to see an NBA champion in this collection. I thought the intro to this book and the introduction of each author was really well done and of course the poems were really well written. The explored a lot of topics such as race, policing as a black person, abuse, and grief.

[Katie Lawrence]

Read to page 88 or so of this incredibly powerful poetry collection. I may come back to finish the poems at some point, but wanted to read enough that I could share it with high school students. I'm not sure teens will be interested in the prose aspects of this book talking about the slam poetry club, but they were definitely interested in the poems.

[Sarah Krajewski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fabulous collection of poetry from teen poets that participate in a Spoken Word Club at Chicago’s Oak Park and River Forest High School. I shared many of these gorgeous, powerful poems with my seniors this year—performances as well—and they really enjoyed hearing from poets their own age. As one of my students said, “If they can write like this, so can I.” And they did.

[A.J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Problem. I will read anything with Hanif Abdurraqib’s name on it even if it’s something he didn’t write more then two pages for. The poems weren’t bad. I’m fact some of them were really good. And I deeply appreciate where this came from, the community of poetry, all these generations of students coming back to their roots to create something. But this wasn’t for me most of the time.

[Megan Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was absolutely fantastic. This all happens not far from me, so it’s so neat to be reading about places that I’m familiar with. And some of these were so incredibly profound and resonated so deeply with me. “The butcher taught me how to high school” slammed me against a wall and took me right back to high school. It was incredible. And I loved Iman Shumpert being in there!

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am impressed by the talent behind these writers. I was able to listen to this through a library app, which added to the poetic flow that I love so much. The subject matters were deep and well thought out. I could tell that each piece of work was done from the heart.

[Mary Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book belongs in every high school classroom and library. This book belongs on every high school English teacher's desk. This book belongs in every teacher education program to remind us of our "why."

[Brittany]

I read this because I wanted to read all of Hanif Abduraqqib's backlist, and this did not disappoint. It's poetry by a collection of poets, and I highly recommend the audiobook if that is an accessible format for you.

[Mya Matteo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is sweet. Budding poets or fans of spoken word will enjoy this one.

[Nav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moving (for all that this collection is quite grounded in reality).

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice collection of spoken-word poems written by young adults. Great title for high school teachers; I bookmarked a few poems that might speak to my 8th graders.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not JUST a fantastic collection of poems, but it also represents what is possible when students have supportive, uplifting teachers.

[Tara Schaafsma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been liking this. A lot of great and provocative poems.

[Anne Bennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review: https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/...

[Missy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book #27 read in 2022

Powerful and amazing. I was honored to have read the words of these poets.

[Michelle Huber · Rating 4 out of 5]

AMAZING POETRY

[Tyler Witt · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great collection of poems. While I couldn’t relate to all of them, they were all constructed with great care and creativity to convey each author’s feelings.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

RA
- Y Nonfiction
- spoken word/slam poetry
- racism
- suggest reading it aloud

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moving and powerful poem anthology that touches on the topics on racism, sexism, grief, trauma, and family. Every single writer is very talented.

[Jak Krumholtz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poetry is usually hit and miss for me. This collection started off strong, got okay and finished solidly. I imagine it's different for each reader.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0m3...

[H3idi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book combines so many voices and issues. I loved it.

[M.G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book speaks to the importance of student choice in the K-12 classroom. . . . I thoroughly enjoyed reading these accounts from students in a high school's poetry club.