The Judges

Desmond Spann, aka DLUX THE LIGHT is an artist of the positive kind from Portland, OR. He is qualified to judge because when it comes to poetry, it’s like he flunked recess; he don’t play!” Check out his Emcee Mind

Turiya Autry Whether teaching university courses or youth workshops, rocking the mic or working behind the scenes, Turiya is a positive motivational force encouraging people to look more critically and lovingly upon the world around them. Her latest role as the Education Director of Caldera, complements her unique and longstanding work in both the arts and education. For over a decade she’s taught and inspired children, teens and adults: as a university instructor, teaching artist and performance poet.  As a teaching artist, she’s provided assemblies, workshops and residencies to over 50 different schools K-12. As university faculty she’s taught 15 unique courses, totaling over 200 credit hours in 4 departments. As a performer she’s shared verse and vision  to crowds throughout the country and beyond. Her work, in these complementary arenas, reaches thousands each year. Turiya’s opened for well known figures like Angela Davis, bell hooks, John Trudell, Nikki Giovanni, Ursula Le Guin, Lyrics Born, Spearhead, Saul Williams, Kevin Garnett and Hillary Clinton. She has toured nationally, performed internationally, and co-hosted a talk radio show.

Alice Cuprill-Comas is a Portland attorney who loves words.  She is on the Board of Directors for Literary Arts.

 Randy Gragg is a writer, editor, and organizer who has worked in the Northwest for the past 25 years. Most recently he became editor-in-chief of Portland Monthly, a 56,000-circulation city magazine. From 1989-1997 Gragg wrote on art and cultural politics for The Oregonian, Portland’s daily newspaper. From 1997-2007 he wrote on architecture, urban design and planning, becoming a leading columnist for the newspaper’s Sunday op/ed page. Last year he was our “Math Guy.”

Max Williams is CEO and President of the Oregon Community Foundation

Click to see Judges 2012