Alix Olson
Alix L. Olson (born 1975 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) is an American poet who works exclusively in spoken word. She graduated from Wesleyan University in 1997 and uses her work to address issues of capitalism, sexism, homophobia, heterosexism, misogyny, and patriarchy. She identifies as a queer feminist.In 1997, Olson began performing at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, where she quickly made the 1998 Nuyorican Poetry Slam team. She and her fellow Nuyorican team members Lynne Procope, Steve Colman and Guy LeCharles Gonzalez would go on to win the 1998 National Poetry Slam Championship in Austin, TX. This championship would lead to Soft Skull Press publishing the anthology Burning Down the House which showcased poetry by Olson, Procope, Coleman and Gonzalez as well as poetry by the 1998 Nuyorican Team's coach, Roger Bonair-Agard.Olson went on to record and publish three spoken word CDs Built Like That (2001), Independence Meal (2004) and Protagonist (2014). She also edited the spoken word anthology, Word Warriors: 35 Women Leaders in the Spoken Word Revolution. The book, published by Seal Press in 2007, features essays and poetry from poets such as Patricia Smith, Eileen Myles, Sarah Jones, Suheir Hammad, Staceyann Chin, Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz, Lynn Breedlove and Michelle Tea, with a forward by Eve EnslerAlix has toured 200 days a year but is currently on the road less as she pursues a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She won the University of Massachusetts Amherst's 2013 "Distinguished Teaching Award."On July 8, 2014, blogger Justyn Hintze wrote about the Apple Inc engraving service, which seemed to be exhibiting sexist programming. According to Hintze this came to her attention on attempting to engrave her new shiny iDevice with an Alix Olson lyric I’ll give myself a lube job, shake my broomstick 'til my clit throbs, a lyric which she describes as "feminist, sex-positive, and it makes me smile. Every. single. time." The blog and subsequent campaign on Twitter - #MyClitMyChoice - has garnered international media attention.
