Often defined as “the art of spoken words,” slam poetry has become popular for poets to share experiences or worldwide conflicts. Broadcast journalism sophomore and slam poet Mahnoor Samana has been featured on Amy Poehler’s YouTube channel to highlight discrimination. | Courtesy of Leonal Nerio

The emotions of a poet’s thoughts and experiences are often captured during their performance to convey real-world issues and personal conflicts.

Broadcast journalism sophomore and The Daily Cougar Web Editor Mahnoor Samana is one such poet and has used performance art to change lives. Poetry has been a passion all her life.

“Slam poetry is a mix between prose, written poetry and acting,” Samana said. “I want to shed light on the things we keep hidden in the dark and talk about the forgotten.”

For years, Samana said she kept her poetry to herself, concealing them inside notebooks that were filled cover to cover. After she entered her first performance art competition, she realized that her words and thoughts matter.

“I found myself on that stage with one microphone, a blinding light and a room full of people staring at me,” Samana said. “You know, there are some experiences in life where you actually realize in the moment how happy you are, and that was the moment for me.”

She has performed at many venues around the Houston area, but finds true happiness performing at local coffee shops and being able to connect with a group of strangers.

“When you perform, you give up a little piece of yourself to your audience, and you create a personal bond with them,” Samana said. “The thing with strangers is that they don’t know you or your past; it’s only about what you have to say, and to me, that is beautiful.”

During one of her performances, a representative from Amy Poehler’s Youtube channel “Smart Girls at the Party” was in attendance and asked Samana to perform one of her slam poems for Poehler’s online channel.

Mahnoor Samana,right, stands with her mentor Outspoken Bean, middle, and partner Michael Stephens, left, after her performance on Fox 26. | Courtesy of Mahnoor Samana

She has also performed on Fox 26 News to preview an event as part of the group Meta-Four Houston. The event was called “Pink at the Brown” and was a tribute to people who are fighting breast cancer.

“It was live TV, so it was very nerve-wracking,” Samana said. “But all in all, I had an amazing time. I walked out of the TV station in shock because I couldn’t come to terms with the fact that I was on TV.”

Inspired by faith, emotion, experiences and a supportive family, Samana encourages all who are interested in poetry to find inspirations, write it down and never stop.

“Take a pen and start writing,” Samana said. “It might not look like poetry to you at first sight, but trust me, it will matter to someone.”

arts@thedailycougar.com