STAGE? I AM NOT AND NEVER WILL BE, NEVER REALLY WANT TO BE NORMAL, BUT AT LEAST NORMAL. HERE. CANTAB IS POETRY. THE CROWD IS YOUNG, HIP AND ARDENT, OPEN MINDED. IF YOU THINK THAT SOMEBODY IS IN THE ...

Marc Kelly Smith thought he'd retire to a small town in western Illinois. Instead, he's onstage in Chicago, reciting his poetry and talking about his life.

When Olivia Vella was asked to explore a topic she was passionate about for her seventh grade writing final, she turned to insecurities. Her poem, which explores the question, "Why am I not good ...