Slam Poet Taylor Mali Entertains, Enlightens

On Thursday, October 28, Rivers was treated to an entertaining, educational poetry reading by renowned author, teacher, and slam poet Taylor Mali.

Mali spent nearly a decade teaching at Cape Cod Academy and the Browning School in New York City. He has performed with such legendary poets as Billy Collins and Allen Ginsberg, and has won four National Poetry Slam competitions.  He has also recorded four CDs, and written the books What Learning Leaves and the Last Time as We Are.

On Thursday, Mali recited several of his poems, which were by turn exuberant, thoughtful, and inquisitive. He concluded with his famous “What Teachers Make,” which was inspired by a condescending question he was asked at a dinner-party about “what he makes” as an educator. “What do I make?!” He asks in the poem, flummoxed. “I ‘make’ kids wonder, I make ’em question, I make ’em criticize.”

The poet also took questions from the audience and sat in on several classes throughout the day to help students with their writing and public speaking. “It was a great presentation from a guy who brings a fresh perspective to education and creativity,” says Upper School Dean of Students Jim Long. “He really echoed a lot of the ideas of intellectualism and critical thinking that we value at Rivers.”