The writing and performance of spoken word poetry can create moments
of productive critical engagement. In The Fifth Element,
Crystal Leigh Endsley charts her experience of working with a dynamic
and diverse group of college students, who are also emerging artists,
to explore the connection between spoken word and social
responsibility. She considers how themes of activism, identity, and
love intersect with the lived experiences of these students and how
they use spoken word to negotiate resistance and to navigate through
life. Endsley also examines the local and transnational communities
where performances took place to shed light on concepts of social
responsibility and knowledge production.