In his third consecutive year competing in the National Poetry Championship in Madison, Wisc., Daniel José Custódio '00 has won first place in the individual Slam Master Championship, followed by a second place finish in the Group Piece Championship with his newly founded team, Slam Nahuatl. Both first and second place presentations, each of which received nearly perfect scores of 29.9 and 29.6 out of a possible 30 points respectively, featured poems written by Custódio.
Slam poetry is a form of competitive poetry performed individually or by a team that features three minute presentations judged and scored by random judges selected from the audience. The son of two immigrants, Custódio's winning slam poetry is rooted in personal issues of discrimination, and finds inspiration from his former inability to communicate effectively in English when he was growing up. Identifying himself as "the voice of the opressed," Custódio refuses to be silent.
With his current standing as one of the premier slam poets in the world, Custódio plans on using his success to put his words into action on a global scale. In September, Custódio will launch an "End Hunger Slam" series in a partnership with Central Virginia Food Bank. Proceeds of the slam will be used to provide meals to those in need in the city or Richmond, Virg. For more information on Custódio, visit www.thepoetdaniel.com.
Slam poetry is a form of competitive poetry performed individually or by a team that features three minute presentations judged and scored by random judges selected from the audience. The son of two immigrants, Custódio's winning slam poetry is rooted in personal issues of discrimination, and finds inspiration from his former inability to communicate effectively in English when he was growing up. Identifying himself as "the voice of the opressed," Custódio refuses to be silent.
With his current standing as one of the premier slam poets in the world, Custódio plans on using his success to put his words into action on a global scale. In September, Custódio will launch an "End Hunger Slam" series in a partnership with Central Virginia Food Bank. Proceeds of the slam will be used to provide meals to those in need in the city or Richmond, Virg. For more information on Custódio, visit www.thepoetdaniel.com.
