People like Sarah Kay

Sarah Kay (born June 19, 1988) is an American poet. Known for her spoken word poetry, Kay is the founder and co-director of Project V.O.I.C.E. (founded 2004), a group dedicated to using spoken word as an educational and inspirational tool.

Kay was born in New York City, New York, to a Japanese American mother and a Jewish American father. Sarah Kay has one brother, Philip Kay, who is seven years younger. Sarah's dad worked during the day, so her mom was the one at home that she had to talk to. She has a Master of Arts in teaching from Brown University, and an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Grinnell College. She now currently writes, reads, and performs poetry for diverse audiences. She is also the co-director and founder of her current project, project VOICE. She began performing poetry at the Bowery Poetry Club in the East Village at the age of 14, joining their Slam Team in 2006. That year, she was the youngest person competing in the National Poetry Slam in Austin, Texas. She has participated in many poetry slams. In 2007 Kay made her television debut, performing the poem "Hands" on HBO's Def Poetry Jam. She has performed at events and venues like the Lincoln Center, the Tribeca Film Festival, and at the United Nations where she was a featured performer for the launch of the 2004 World Youth Report.In May 2010, she performed at *spark!, a benefit for the Acumen Fund in New York, New York.