Thanks to Paul Dieter for sharing that video of The Center School‘s Poetry Slam performance/competition on Thursday night. We learned more about TCS during the Seattle Public Schools closure process that’s heading for a vote next Thursday; TCS changes are NOT part of the plan any more but when they were, we learned that the unique Seattle Center-based school has more than a few West Seattle teens in attendance, including one who performed in the Thursday night event, as Paul explains:

The Center School presented A Night Of Poetry and Theater For Social Change at the Seattle Repertory Theater. The standing-room-only audience was treated to these talented high-school students exercising the power they are finding in words, performance and personal poise confidence. The evening began with 18 students reading their own poems and finished with a competitive poetry slam that included West Seattle’s own Daniel Willoughby. There was also a brief performance by the school’s Theater For Social Change class that gave us a view on some of the issues facing these young adults.

Another poetry note with a West Seattle hook: South Seattle Community College writing instructor Mike Hickey (photo left), elected last November as the city’s newest Poet Populist, will be officially “installed” as the PP Sunday afternoon. He’ll read, of course, at the 2 pm event at the city’s central library branch downtown (map), which features other special guests. Read more about the (free!) event here; hear Mike read in this WSB report on a pre-election event last October at Youngstown Arts Center.