main Poetry Music Theater  
             
 
Bio
Links

Page or stage, hilarious or heavy, the purpose of Watsky’s poetry is always a serious reflection on the state of the world we share.

In March, 2006 Watsky won the Youth Speaks Poetry Grand Slam Finals with a perfect score in front of a sold out San Francisco Opera House crowd. In April, 2006 his San Francisco slam team won the BNV National Poetry Slam, with the finals culminating at a sold out Apollo Theater in New York City. In October, 2006, He completed filming for the sixth season of Russell Simmons presents HBO Def Poetry and in November, 2006 Watsky traveled to Sundance, Utah as the recipient of Robert Redford's Sundance Summit Award for poetry on Climate Change. Watsky is a four-time Youth Speaks Grand Slam finalist, a three-time Bay Area National Teen Slam Team member and a 2005 and 2006 Brave New Voices National Finalist. His poetry is featured on the CDs Bringing the Noise 3 and Bringing the Noise 4 and in the second First Word Press anthology Hearts Sized Like Cities.

Watsky’s debut poetry collection and CD, Undisputed Backtalk Champion is now available (and going fast) from First Word Press and is awaiting second printing. Adam Mansbach, Author of Angry Black White Boy or The Miscegenation of Macon Detornay provides the foreword.

Watsky has been featured in most major Bay Area media outlets including the San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland Tribune, San Francisco Bayview, WILD 94.9 FM, KGO radio, KPFA Hard Knock Radio, the KRON 4 Evening News, and the KPIX Channel 5 Morning Show. He has performed at the biggest venues in the area and beyond including the Apollo Theater, the Great American Music Hall, the Independent, the Herbst Theater, Masonic Auditorium, the War Memorial Opera House, Bimbo’s, the Yerba Buena Theater, and has won all-ages slams in Berkeley, Marin, and at the famed Nuyorican Poets Café in Manhattan. Watsky has performed with the DaKah Hip Hop Orchestra and has been featured at shows headlined by Mos Def, Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal Michael Franti and Meshell Ndegeocello among others.

He hosted the popular San Francisco 21 and under open mic Final Fridays from 2005-2006.

 
“Watsky perfection at teen poetry slam”
Oakland Tribune, March 21, 2006
“Local poets lift voices at nationals”
San Francisco Chronicle, April 21st, 2006
“6 from Youth Speaks win N.Y. poetry slam”
San Francisco Chronicle May 1st, 2006
“Local team is a slam-dunk in finals”
Oakland Tribune May 9th, 2006
“Poets’ voices speak loud and clear at the Living Word Festival”
San Francisco Chronicle, October 11th, 2004
 
Samples
VIDEO
"V for Virgin"
(Live from SF Opera House) 2006
"Pickup Line Protest"
(Live from ODC Theatre) 2006
 
AUDIO
"V for Virgin"
(Live from SF Opera House) 2006
"Same Page"
(Undisputed Backtalk Champion CD)
PAGE
         
Buy the Book Now
     

Undisputed Backtalk Champion is the first collection of poetry from 2006 Youth Speaks Grand Slam Poetry Champion George Watsky. He comes out swinging bare-knuckled on issues of politics, class hierarchies, and schoolyard etiquette. Undisputed Backtalk Champion is his bold step into unspoken word—a seventy-page sass talk note passed to the teacher’s desk.

praise
 
George Performing