Meet the poets

« Here I am: the ransacked house, kissing the knuckle that committed the robbery. »

Kait Rokowski, “Swelter”

Kait Rokowski

Age: 22.

Hometown: Gray, Maine.

Years slamming: 4.

Credentials: Placed third at WOWps 2012, third at Individual World Poetry Slam in 2011, fourth at College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational in 2011.

Published work: One chapbook.

Education: University of Minnesota, currently taking time off school.

Aspirations: “I want to write TV shows or poetry, anything with writing.”

Strengths: “Being strong on stage.”

Weakness: “Being sensitive on stage.”

For her WOW appearance: “Feminism and humor.”

Odds of winning WOW: 5-1. She has the experience but has yet to nail down a decisive win; a relatively safe bet.

« I wake up writing the prayers my dreams abandoned. »

Anna Binkovitz, “A survivor’s guide to saying yes.”

Anna Binkovitz

Age: 20.

Hometown: Born in Rochester, Minn.; grew up in Ohio.

Years slamming: 1.

Credentials: Has been to college nationals and regional slams. Was a member of the Macalester College CUPSI team and St. Paul’s Rustbelt Regional Poetry Slam team.

Published work: One chapbook, “The Love Hypothetic” (2013).

Education: Junior at Macalester working on a B.A. in English.

Aspirations: Would be interested in being a poet for a career, and is dipping her toe into planning shows.

Strengths: “Writing in a vulnerable way.”

Weakness: “Writing with an authoritative voice.”

For her WOW appearance: A one-minute poem about the Newtown shooting and not letting fear dictate your life, and a two-minute poem about an aunt with cancer.

Odds of winning WOW: 8-1. Relatively new and unknown. Binkovitz has underdog status.

« My body is a dead language, and you pronounce each word perfectly. »

Sierra DeMulder, “The Unrequited Love Poem”

Sierra DeMulder

Age: 26.

Hometown: Grew up in upstate New York.

Years slamming: 5.

Credentials: Member of the National Poetry Slam championship team from St. Paul in 2009 and 2010; 2009 finalist in World Poetry Slam; coached the winning team from Macalester in 2011; CUPSI 2009 Best Female Poet.

Published work: “Bones Below” (2010) and “New Shoes on a Dead Horse” (2012).

Education: Currently studying English at the University of Minnesota.

Aspirations: Pursuing a career as a poet and poetry teacher.

Strengths: Experienced and innovative.

Weakness: Hasn’t competed in a while, variability of slam.

For her WOW appearance: She’s still putting her strategy together.

Odds of winning: 3-1. She has the experience and past wins to put her at the top of the heap, though she hasn’t competed in a while.