Today, Spark My Muse is about art and its ability to help us enter the hardest issues and conversations facing our times. My guest is an effervescent joy: Anita Scott, who is a teacher and a spoken word poet born and raised in Dallas, Texas. Her vantage point is unique: she is African-American, from a very conservative Christian home (her father was even a pastor for a time) and she was home-schooled by her parents for her entire k-12 education. She now teaches in a Dallas city public middle school and performs her poetry throughout the U.S. She is also the poet in residence at the Mudroom blog. SHOW NOTES will include not just links to websites and people mentioned in the episode, but also some VIDEO of her performances and should NOT be missed. Find it at SparkMyMuse.com for Eps 73. (plenty of other goodies - like videos, and replays of LIVE events, and other episodes are there for your enjoyment too)

I'm so happy to have new supporters and listeners this week! This show is heard in 157 countries! Thank you also to Noel Young and Chad Gibbs for their financial contributions, and to James Prescott of the wonderful "James Talks" podcast for his contribution. Everyone please DO check out his podcast.

If you have a question about this episode or any episode, OR you 'd like to ask a question that could be picked to be featured on a future podcast, leave me a message! Call 608-957-7275.

Thanks for helping the show by doing wonderful friendly things like sharing the show, rating it on iTunes, sending over a few dollars to say "keep making the show" (visit sparkmymuse.com to do that- hint, hint), and just being the best listeners, and sweetest people ever. You make it worth while.

Peace, Love, and Sparkle in your heart,
-Lisa