Sigrid explains what a limerick is, and how to write one. If you are so inclined, you can submit your limericks in the "comments" section of the video tab.

Theater director Simon Stone deconstructs some of the common visual and audio tricks of modern theater, utilizing a cast of first-time volunteer actors recruited in the days prior to TEDxSydney 2011 and rehearsed just once.

Though most might be unaware, the US state of California was named after a place that doesn't exist outside of literature, similar to Narnia. "California" comes from a novel written in the Spanish Golden Age.

Mayda del Valle, a poet whose work has helped to raise the bar in poetry circles all over the world, performs her piece "a faith like yours" at the White House Evening of Poetry, Music, and the Spoken Word.

Richard Williams, better known by his stage name Prince Ea, is an American spoken word artist, poet, rapper, and filmmaker. He formed the "Make 'SMART' Cool" movement in 2009, which is dedicated to promoting the ideals of education, intelligence, unity, and creativity through hip hop.

David and Ben Crystal explain why Shakespeare verses read with Original Pronunciation convey very different emotions and open up another level of understanding.

"You're a fishmonger!" By taking a closer look at Shakespeare's words, and particularly his insults, we can see why he is known as a master playwright whose works appeal to audiences all over the world.

Over the course of human history, thousands of languages have developed from what was once a much smaller number. How did we end up with so many? And how do we keep track of them all? Alex Gendler explains how linguists group languages into language families, demonstrating how these linguistic trees give us crucial insights into the past.

David and Ben Crystal explain what goes into original pronunciation (OP) productions of Shakespeare and what they reveal about the history of the English language.

When we look at insults used in Shakespeare's play "Romeo and Juliet," we get a new insight into dynamics between the characters and how they relate to the development of the story.

The First Lady welcomes the first act in an evening of poetry, music and spoken word at the White House. Pianist ELEW and bassist/singer Esperanza Spalding kick off the evening with an instrumental jazz fusion performance. Enjoy!

The President and First Lady kick off an evening of poetry, music, and the spoken word at the White House.

MTV has unearthed an amazing clip of David Bowie backstage at Live Aid with Thomas Dolby, talking about Labyrinth and his “Dancing in the Street” music video.

Jamila Lyiscott is a “tri-tongued orator;” in her powerful spoken-word essay “Broken English,” she celebrates — and challenges — the three distinct flavors of English she speaks with her friends, in the classroom and with her parents. As she explores the complicated history and present-day identity that each language represents, she unpacks what it means to be “articulate.”

John Tullo (Beej) from Drumroots and Tanante giving an interview about our most recent Drumroots Live event ran as a fund raiser to for all proceeds to be handed onto Médecins Sans Frontières MSF (Doctors Without Borders) for their essential and on-going work in East Africa.