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Born December 20, 1979 under an unknown sign and to an uncertain mother, I came into this world. I was given up for adoption and so began the journey. I wrote my first poem when I was in 1st grade. I only remember that it was about fishing with my uncle. It was, however, also my first poetry contest. And I won. The prize? A meeting with Gwendolyn Brooks in front of the entire school! I don't think I wrote poetry again until those crazy high school years, some of which were published in the school's literary magazine. I went on to Chicago State University as an English education major. It was here that I first started performance poetry after seeing Saul Williams at the Gwendolyn Brooks Writing Conference. In my sophomore year, the English Department held a contest, calling for poetry submissions. And I won. The Prize? A meeting with Gwendolyn Brooks...again! She remembered meeting me in first grade and she told me the one thing that has kept me sane and made me the poet and the person I am today:"Always write the truth. The moment you stop writing the truth, you're no longer writing poetry."I left Chicago State University after battling a substance abuse problem. I joined the United States Navy and was released after battling the same substance abuse problem. After finally getting myself clean, I attended Western Illinois University for a few years, still chasing that elusive dream. Still without a bachelor's degree, a job, a pot to piss in, or a window to throw it out of, I'm still trying to write the truth. The truth as I know it, since I now know that "truth" isn't the same for everyone. I've won 1st place awards at the ACUI Region 9 Poetry Slams in 2005 and 2006, 2nd place awards in the Online Virtual Poetry Slam held by Citizens for Global Solutions, the 2005 Creative Writer's Society award for Poetry at Western Illinois University, 2nd place at the 2nd Annual Rootabaga Poetry Slam held in Galesburg, IL and a Poet's Choice Award at the 2008 Rust Belt Regional Poetry Slam in Columbus, Ohio.........And I continue to write the Truth. I continue to chase the Dream.........
