Chris Byrd
I’m just a man that grew up on the west and south side of Chicago that wanted more than what I was receiving. Not the typical story but I grew up homeless most of my pre-adult life. I’ve been kicked out of more than 5 schools, dropped out twice, and created uncomfortable environments for my peers. Once I turned 18 I turned things around and joined the army right after high school in 2012. My first tour to Afghanistan was in 2013 and I was medical retired in 2017 due to multiple head injuries and other injuries. I’ve owned a marketing and photography business and now I'm a producer and property investor. Who would of know that the kid that made adults cringe would become the man I am today? Peter Kahn knew. The only man that didn't give up on me and gave me the tools to become better. It was up to me to use those tools to build the man I am today.
The impact of poetry and the spoken word club
When spoken word was introduced to me, I was homeless and angry with life. Expressing myself in the worst ways and putting my future in danger due to how I chose to express how I was feeling. The first time I expressed how I felt on paper was the beginning of making less bad decisions. The first line I wrote was "My 2008 summer was like a stack of dominos that kept falling over” meaning every time I was back on my feet, things were expected to fall back over. Looking for trouble was replaced with searching for a stage, a mic, and a crowd of 150 people or so. Spoken word gave me that stage and even though I don't write as much anymore that one moment in my life gave me control of my destiny.
Top favorite poets or lyricists
J. Cole
Writing Prompts
Write about a time you felt at peace
Write about a time you felt at peace, but in retrospect, you shouldn’t have felt that way
Write about a time you had an epiphany (a sudden realization) about yourself