I kept looking over my shoulder but I couldn’t find Aja Monet among the teachers and organizers gathered in the back of the filled Grace Allen room at the University of South Florida. I was excited to see her in person after watching Youtube videos of her reading on a sunny sidewalk or in front of a slam crowd. Jessica Thompson, a second-year MFA at USF, came to the mic and introduced Monet and her notable acclaim since winning the champion title at the Nuyorican Poets Café grand slam when she was only nineteen. Continue reading