"If I could not write...
...then I could not breathe and as a result, I want to be an individual that inhales life and is excited by the possibility of what it could be, rather then what it is. I want to steer the younger generations into the movement of language, writing, thought and expression to prove to them how important it is to show and exude your own opinion, as opposed to accepting the opinion of others."

- Benjamin Hughes, Poet, Actor, Artist, All Around Nice Guy

Benjamin Hughes has been invigorating schools, colleges and organizations by guiding participants & participants from all walks of life through the process and joy of writing. Through his own life experiences Benjamin Hughes has been able to inject spirit and bring a unique voice into his one-of-a-kind performances. Fueled by his energy, participants will be entertained and moved from audience member to an engaged participant through storytelling and poetry which ultimately pushes all to discover for themselves - the gift of writing.

A San Francisco native, who currently resides in the Midwest - Benjamin began writing in the fall of 1999 after attending an open mic. Since then, he has grafted his expression into a form that can move him as well as others.

A determined artist and writer, Benjamin draws from his social, economic and cultural surroundings as well as his rich multi racial background. Pulling from his environment, he has been blessed to perform on the same stages as Carnegie Hall Soprano Angela Brown, Nikki Giovanni, Sonia Sanchez, Ursula Rucker, Umar Bin Hassan, Talib Kweli, M1 [Dead Prez], Patricia Smith, Susan Taylor & many others; has been an individual competitor in the National Poetry Slam as well as been a key-note speaker, presenter and performer to hundreds of educators, students and open mics overseas, across Canada and the United States.

Benjamin feels that the measure of achievement is not defined by how many stages a person may grace, people you perform with, accolades you receive or competitions you win; but by the number of hearts you change, minds you move and people you encourage to express their own opinions & beliefs.

Benjamin Hughes is a Technical Trainer, Workshop Presenter, Web-Designer, works with youth and adults with personal development and creative writing workshops and has been a freelance writer. For more info on booking or to purchase products [Clothing, CD’s or Chapbooks] please visit the CONTACT section of this site

FEATURE INTRODUCTION
"Our feature tonight, hails from Cincinnati, OH… Yes all the way from Cincinnati, OH. Benjamin Hughes, measures his life in a variety of different ways: He has several pads, a pen, a laptop computer and years of experience as a poet. Benjamin was an individual competitor in the 2003 and 2004 national poetry slam; and thanks god for the chance to be able to walk in poetry’s shadow. Please welcome the man, the myth, the poet and all around nice guy - Benjamin Hughes."

PAST APPEARANCES
(for more recent, see the Schedule section of the site)

Da Poetry Lounge - (Los Angeles, CA)
Underground Railroad Freedom Center - (Cincinnati, OH)
Toronto International Poetry Slam - (Toronto, CA)
Organic Mic - (Toronto, CA)
2004 National Poetry Slam - (St Louis, MO)
2004 Southern Fried Slam - (Miami, FL)
Group’s Program, Speaker - (Bloomington, IN)
INK TANK Writer's Day Workshop Presenter - (Cincinnati, OH)
Word Up IV Poetry Slam - OyaXclusive.com - (Norfolk, VA)
Austin International Poetry Festival - (Austin, TX)
St Louis Spoken Word Expo - (St Louis, MO)
University of Dayton Litfest - (Dayton, OH)
Total Experience w/ Jazzy @ Jacksons on Third - (Phoenix, AZ)
Anthology Cafe Open Mic - (Mesa, AZ)
The Blunt Club - (Mesa, AZ)
Essenzaslam Poetry Slam @ Essenza Coffee House - (Mesa, AZ)
Divine Essence Poetry @ Livingstons Restaurant - (Phoenix, AZ)
SLAMicide poetry series- (Baltimore, MD)
MYTH poetry series- (Washington, DC)
Open Mind Poetry- (Washington, DC)
Spit Dat! @ Java Head Café- (Washington, DC)
Delta Cofee House- Miami University (Miami, OH)
Teen Read Weeks, "Slammin at your library" - (Cincinnati, OH)
Black Family Reunion - (Cincinnati, OH)
National Poetry Slam - (Chicago, IL)
A Way Out Foundation - (Cincinnati, OH)
Dayton Black Culural Festival - (Dayton, OH)
SSNOVA - Arts Benefit (Cincinnati, OH) - May 2003
The Greenwich - 2nd place - “The Slam” (Cincinnati, OH)
Love Jones - Cafe Cin' Cin'- New Bistro Café (Cincinnati, OH)
The Greenwich - presented by 144K (Cincinnati, OH)
The Greenwich - Liquid Sunshine (Cincinnati, OH)
Black OUT Series - University of Cincinnati
Lyricist Lounge - Bear Cat (U of Cincinnati)
Dallas Black.com Open Mic - 2nd place - Main street Internet café (Dallas, TX)
Liberated Souls - (Cincinnati, OH)
Kilomanjaro - (Louisville, KY)
Soul Café - (New York City, NY)
NUYORICAN Poet's Café - Open Mic (New York City, NY)
Black Lily, The Five Spot - (Philadelphia, PA)
Caraban Bookstore - (Washington, DC)
Ra Ra Sessions - Featured Artist - (Cincinnati, OH)
Canal Street Tavern, The District –2002 (Dayton, OH)
NAACP Poetry The Sanctuary - Wright State University (Dayton, OH)
Snaps and Taps - (Columbus, OH)