This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

With his remarkable talent of storytelling and two captivating poems, Phil shares his journey and experience of creating poetry with inmates in maximum security prison.

Phil Kaye is a touring spoken word poet and co-director of Project VOICE. He has traveled all over the world performing his work and teaching hands-on workshops. He has appeared on NPR, performed at Lincoln Center, and is the two-time recipient of the National College Poetry Slam award for "Pushing the art forward," given for outstanding innovation in the art of performance poetry -- the only person to receive the award twice. Phil is a graduate of Brown University, where he was the former head coordinator of "Space in Prisons for the Arts and Creative Expression" (SPACE) and taught weekly poetry workshops in maximum-security prisons. His book, "A light bulb symphony," was released in 2011, and his work can be found regularly in CHAOS Magazine.