SpokenHeard with Amoja Sumler and Host Susan Dobbe Chase

Amoja :"The Mo-Man" Sumler is a spoken word poet who specializes in performance and creative writing workshops for kindergarten through university-age students. Poetry has long been Sumler's passion, and poetry is concentrated, mood altering, intense, and life changing. In 2000 he was named Poetry Slam Master of Little Rock, and he has continued to bear the commitment to the present. He has had the pleasure and honor of performing for a variety of audiences as a feature and as a competitor in poetry slams, including at such notable events as the National Poetry Slam and the Southern Fried Poetry Slam. 

The chaotic word combat of poetry slams provides a thrilling and captivating atmosphere, but it is not the whole of poetry for Amoja. He understands the power of words and has striven not only to share them with his community and peers, but also to help shape and build something lasting. As the founder and president of Poets in the Streets, he has taken an active part in improving literacy throughout Arkansas and surrounding states, bring an innovative, engaging, and inclusive perspective to students of all ages.