Smells Like Teen Spirit

These days, it seems like teenagers are taking over the world, one bad haircut at a time. But beneath the acne and bad posture are minds and talents worthy of praise, even right here in Miami. Tigertail Productions, the South Florida organization that has commissioned, presented, and produced more than 500 artists in the performing and visual arts for the past 33 years, has been doing big things with its Teen Spoken Word Project — an ongoing initiative that encourages teens with a knack for artistic expression through workshops in writing and performing. Tigertail also puts on public events such as open mikes, poetry slams, and readings — definitely not for the sort of teen you imagine hibernating in his room all day or obsessing over her next Facebook status. WordSpeak, an award-winning collaboration of arguably Miami’s six most talented young poets, celebrates its book launch with a reading at Books & Books (265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables) this Thursday. The book was edited by the teenaged Gio Garced, and the dope cover was designed by the Miami-based artist and graphic novelist Chris Meesey. If Dead Poets Society is your game, you’ll love hearing these bright, young things perform riveting poems that sway audiences into a deep roar of cheering and ovations.
Thu., Dec. 27, 8 p.m., 2012