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Homepage: www.aptowicz.com

Home Venue: www.bowerypoetry.com/urbana

Bio:  
Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz is is a boot-stomping wit-slinging sass machine, living and writing in New York City.  Founder and host of the three-time National Poetry Slam Championship Venue, NYC Urbana (run out of the brand spanking new house of poetry, the Bowery Poetry Club), Cristin holds the title of youngest slammaster in the nation, a title she has held for the last five years ever since she founded Urbana at the tender age of 19.  Cristin currently has written three books of poetry as well as three screenplays, including "Mutter," which ran the Grand Prize at this year's Philadelphia Film Festival.  Widely anthologized and an experienced touring poet, Cristin's latest project  is an oral history of the slam movement (co-edited by fellow slam vet Phil West) which will be Soft Skull Press in 2004.

National Teams:
1998 NYC-URBANA (Team Member)
1999 PROVIDENCE (Slammaster/Coach)
2000 NYC-URBANA (Slammaster/Coach)
2001 NYC-URBANA (Team Member)
2002 NYC-URBANA (Slammaster/Coach)
 

PSI Member Since: 1998

Other Organizations: National Scrabble Players' Association

Past Performances:

-Chamber Dance (2003) -  as the 2003 guest artist for this innovative new ballet company, Cristin worked in collaboration with Victor Quijada, internationally renowned choreographer and dancer, on two ballets choreographed to her poetry. She will be performing both works with the company through out the spring.

-HBO's Def Poetry Jam (2002) - taped for this nationally broadcast poetry show.

-Sondheim Slam (2002) - slammed at both incarnations of this unique event held at NYC's Joe's Pub.

-Words to Comfort (2001) - performed at this WTC benefit with Mike Ladd, Lou Reed, Alix Olson and Clare Danes, among others.

-Shaptowicz Tour (2001) - toured West Coast with fellow spoken word artist Shappy.

-Melbourne, Australia (2001) -performed in association with Gasworks Arts Complex, the University of Melbourne and Melbourne Spoken Word Community.

-University of California, Davis (2001) - competed in this intra-national grudge slam.

-SXSW (2001) - performed at this nationally-renown music conference/festival.

-Toyota Comedy Festival (2001) - performed in the Word Wrestling Federation poetry competition as the only female competitor.

-Flea Theatre (1999) -- performed as the opening poet for their modernized kabuki play.

-National Poetry Slam (1998 - 2001) - placed as a finalist in 2001 and a semifinalist in 1998.

-Urbana Reading Series (1998- present)

-founded, host and perform at this eclectic poetry series.

Has also performed for the following types of audiences:
NPS Finals Stage
Elementary School Students
Middle School Students
High School Students
College/University
International Audiences
Theatre/Ballet Audiences
Other

Recurring Themes in Your Work:
Poems are the way I record my journey through life as a young, smart, funny, working class, female, ass-kicking writer. Therefore, my poetry covers all the territory I cover in my day-to-day life, from bad day jobs to nerdy boyfriends, from wickedly brilliant mothers to recently pilfered lawn gnomes, and from totally working class pride to the ultimate triumph of love over everything else, and every subject in between. Who knows what I'll write about tomorrow.. 

Describe your most profound slam-related experience:
I think by far the most profound slam-related experience I have had is the opportunity for me to meet with young women who have read or heard my work. Speaking with these young woman made fully me realize the impact I can have as an artist. To hear that I have inspired young woman to look at themselves with a sense of pride (despite the prevailing paradigms), to inspire them recognize their own power, to make them be honest with themselves about how truly brilliant they are and not never let anything hold them back, makes every bleary-eyed, late night, don't-want-to-write-cuz-I-just-worked-a-10-hour-shift poem totally worth it.