Friday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. – Hering Auditorium

In a realm where poets rarely intersect with stardom, the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics introduced us to Shane Koyczan. An internationally recognized author and spoken word artist, Shane has emerged as a creator of poetry that dares to belong to the people and speak directly to them in their own voice. He is not only a writer, but a multi-platform spoken word virtuoso. And we’re welcoming him to Fairbanks in April—National Poetry Month.

In 2013, he collaborated with animators to make the anti-bullying viral video ͞”To This Day” which has had over 13 million views, and he performed a customized version ͞”For the Bullied and the Beautiful” to acclaim at the 2013 International TED Conference in Long Beach, California. Shane shapes his words and delivers in multi mediums from authored, video, spoken word, operatic, and musically performed.

“Homer must have sounded [like this]…or Ginsberg or Kerouac.” –Amy Brown, The Lumiere Reader

“Koyczan’s words electrified. At times they scorched. But in the next breath they stoked gently like smooth silk. It didn’t take long to realize Koyczan was a poet, philosopher, psychologist, ham actor and comic all rolled into a voice that touches us at our deepest core. Together we laughed and wept through the hour – each one of us reliving our own childhood and subsequent romances as adults. And at each turn, we rediscovered ourselves and found inspiration for a new day.”
– St Albert Gazette

“Slam poet Shane Koyczan is still reeling from his appearance at Vancouver`s Olympic opening ceremony in which he delivered what many call a defining moment for Canadians with his poem We Are More.” – CBC News “His poems are full of heartache and memory that touches so deep that emotion crackles in the air around you. And, sure, there are moments of utter, gut-wrenching sadness …But out of this sadness comes such strength, truth and hope that we want to stand up and cheer. Such is the power of Koyczan’s words and delivery.”
– Monday Magazine

“Shane Koyczan is at the heart of a Category Five creative hurricane.”
–The Vancouver Sun

“haunting and beautiful … narratives and stories worthy of hearing.”
–Pop Matters

“a symbol of hope …Canada’s best known spoken word poet.”
–CBC The National

“Koyczan, who is known for his dazzling wordplay and whose work carries its own almost musical cadence, knows that setting the words to music requires simplicity of language.”
–The Globe And Mail

“unapologetically taps emotion: the deep, real feelings we aren’t generally encouraged to express in public.”
–VUE Weekly

“Shane Koyczan’s most prominent attribute as an artist might well be his fearlessness.”
–Victoria Times Colonist

“Every city has its intimate circles of spoken word poets and Shane Koyczan is Canada’s loudest and most influential.”
–Saskatoon Star Phoenix

“Poetry isn’t a problem when it’s this cool”
–Metro

“his profile continues to drill through the traditional poetry and spoken-word barriers.”
–Winnipeg Free Press

“Koyczan’s passionate poetic slice of life lessons have garnered him a global audience for his uplifting performances.“
–The Record

Get Tickets Now

 

“To This Day” TEDTalks performance

“To This Day” Official Video

“Heaven or Whatever”

“Shoulders”

“Troll”

“More often Than Sometimes”