Passonate, insightful, and dynamic, Jorah LaFleur is a spoken word poet whose primary focus on stage is the formation of an intimate connection with the audience. Through her powerful presence she offers a widely varied content that inspires, educates and entertains. Many of Jorah's poems fuse the personal and the political, while others play with mythological, psychological and spiritual themes. She champions the use of spoken word as a means for making social commentary, and as a tool for personal growth.

In addition to performing, Jorah is committed to offering workshops which help others to access their own poetic voice. She is particularly geared towards empowering youth and encouraging them to use spoken word as a tool for positive self- expression. For three years she worked with the non-profit Gateways for Incarcerated Youth conducting various poetry workshops and talent shows with young men incarcerated in maximum security juvenile facilities. Subsequently she worked at Avanti Alternative High School which also afforded her the many opportunities to guide and inspire teens in writing and performing poetry. Over the last seven years, Jorah has been honing her poetic skills performing at numerous venues and events throughout the Northwest, participating in several innovative theatre productions and continually hosting and frequenting a myriad of open mics. Her debut cd, I-opening U-nification, was released in 2004 and she is currently at work on a second album. Artist Statement: "Performing spoken word poetry is an act of alchemy. Within a matter of minutes, emotions and ideas are transformed into words; printed symbols on a page transmute to rhythmic, vibrant sounds; and strangers (audience and performer) suddenly become intimates. One piece of spoken word can move seamlessly from humor, to pain; from being cynical and witty to deeply moving and profound. Both performing and witnessing spoken word can be truly cathartic. When I speak to a complete stranger after a performance and recognize that we share a certain value, vision, experience, or sense of humor, it's incredibly validating and heartening.”