"This book examines how literacy learning can be expanded and redefined using the medium of spoken word poetry. The author tells the story of a passionate Language Arts teacher and his work with The Power Writers, an after-school writing community of Latino and African-American students. Featuring portraits of literacy in action, this book introduces teaching practices for fostering peer support, generating new vocabulary, discussing issues of Standard American English, and using personal experiences as literacy inspiration."--BOOK JACKET.

1. Learning to sing : the emergence of a new literate and literary -- 2. Soul models, rebel voices, or "who we be" -- 3. "I want to hear your music" : the art of reading and feeding -- 4. "We speak in all tongues" : the politics of Bronxonics -- 5. Joe's griots and "exotic dah-dah" : learning how to "catch" words -- 6. Modern blues writers : lived experience as literary inspiration -- 7. "We see ourselves as travelers" : building literate identities -- App A. Student information chart, 2003-2004 academic year -- App B. Joe-isms.