Absolutely amazing radical feminist slam poet, dyke, community activist, and inspiration to ranty queers everywhere.
Member of the 1998 Nuyorican National Poetry Slam Team, 1999 OutWrite National Poetry Slam Champion. Co-founder of Feed the Fire Productions, with partner Amy Neevel (aka "Neeve"). Author of Only the Starving Favor Peace, available in book or cassette form. Other literary credits include co-editorship of "Vagina Verses" and a Queer Slam anthology. She and her poetry been featured in The Lesbian Review of Books, the anthologies Revolutionary Voices and Will Work For Peace, and Burning Down the House, "a collection of spoken word by the 1998 Nuyorican Poetry Slam Team". Alix's debut CD, a full-length number called Built Like That, features her poems and musical accompaniment by various artists, including Pamela Means (the two frequently tour together). Her latest CD, Independence Meal, was released in 2003.
Since making her debut at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Alix has toured extensively in the U.S. and Europe. She has been the subject of increasing media attention, including the cover of the December/January 2000-2001 Ms. magazine, which featured journal entries from her 1999-2000 tour, and an interview at technodyke.com. In 2002, she was nominated for the OutMusic Outstanding Debut Artist, Female Outstanding Producer, and Outstanding Songwriter Awards.
She teaches slam poetry to women in prison and school kids in New York City.
She raps about armpit hair.
She rocks, and rules, and everything in between.
As further proof of the rockingness of Alix Olson and her crew, I offer up the following bit of email correspondence, starting with my request to reproduce some of Alix's poems on E2:
Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2003 22:29:19 -0700 (PDT)
From: <my real name and email excised>
To: alix@subtlesister.com
Subject: Copyright question
Hi, my name is <excised again> and I've been a fan of yours ever since your show at Scripps College in 1998. Now I write for an online community called Everything2.com, an online database of professional and amateur fiction and nonfiction about, well, everything, and I've been introducing E2 to you and your work. Which brings me to my question:
May I, pretty please, have permission to copy some of your poems on E2? It's a strictly non-profit, non-commercial use (i.e. no one's making any money off it) and I'd of course give you all the credit. My other alternative is to only quote short excerpts, so it falls under fair use, but I'd still feel better writing about your stuff if I had official
permission from the creator/copyright holder (i.e. you). The piece I'm most interested in is "Daughter", but I'd also love to cover "Armpit Hair", and compare/contrast "America's On Sale" with "Dear Mr. President".
I really appreciate whatever help you can give me on this.
Thanks already,
<again with the not putting my real name on E2>
And the reply:
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2003 14:36:49 -0700
From: Natalia Kay <email address omitted>
To: <my email address>
Subject: Fw: Copyright question
Hi Tracy-
thanks so much for contacting us about using some of Alix's pieces. You are welcome to use a total of 3 pieces. Please make sure to credit Alix and if you can include her website also, that would be great. Also, please keep us posted about when and where the pieces will appear.
Thanks!
in peace and sisterhood,
Natalia
Siren Music Co.
503.238.4771
http://www.alixolson.com
http://www.pamelameans.com
si.ren: (n) 1. a woman who sings with bewitching sweetness.
2. a device for producing a penetrating warning sound.
Sources: www.alixolson.com (which y'all should check out), "Diary of a Slam Poet" (Ms. vol. xi, no. 1), www.technodyke.com/features/alixolson.asp, this noder's correspondence with the fine folks at alixolson.com, http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=16895