At the age of 13, New Orleans native Desireé Dallagiacomo’s brother was sentenced to prison and placed in solitary confinement, an event that led her to make a career out of writing and poetry.

The only way to communicate was through letters.

“My brother would write rap songs. So he would exchange them back to me and I would write poems or just letters I had to put in a lot of thought in,” Dallagiacomo said.

She was around 18 when she moved to Baton Rouge and got involved with the spoken word arts. Since then, Dallagiacomo has become one of the top-ranking international poets and the program director for Forward Arts.

Forward Arts is a literacy arts based organization designed to help cultivate dialogue through written word. The multigenerational organization also provides performance spaces and increased learning opportunities in local high schools in Baton Rouge and surrounding areas.

The organization was first called Wordplay, and partnered with the Big Buddy Program, a community mentorship program. In 2011, Wordplay branched out on its own.

Chancelier “Xero” Skidmore and Donney Rose led the new Wordplay. A community of supporters rallied behind the duo to create Forward Arts.

Although there are some strong youth programs, adults don’t have the same opportunity to shine. Verse Lab was created in response to adults in the community who wanted to learn spoken word poetry or become better performers.

“One of our Verse Lab alumnus, William Brian Sain, came to Verse Lab, but his intention was to become a better performer. He was already writing great poetry. He was the one we watched matriculate through the program, and [he’s] now become one of the more revered performers in town.” Rose said. Sain is also a two-time national poetry slam team member.

The program will be returning on Sundays starting Sept. 13 at the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge from 2 p.m. to 4.p.m. The cost to attend is $80 for ten sessions; however, there is a scholarship available for those who can’t afford it.  Desireé Dallagiacomo will be the lead teaching artist. Xero and Rose will occasionally lead the classes.  

Dallagiacomo isn’t the only poet whose brother lit the fire of words inside her mind. Hip hop played a major role in the lives of Donney Rose’s brothers. His brothers would battle in creative writing and his mother was an English teacher.
Rose, a 14-year spoken word veteran and eight-time member of the Baton Rouge National Poetry Slam Team, is currently the marketing director for Forward Arts.