David Silverberg
MC, Producer, baller
Haiku Grandmaster
I can’t say in just
Seventeen syllables what
Poetically
Or for that matter
Organizationally
You’ve done for our scene
So I’m cheating and
Writing you this short letter
In basic haiku
Dave, when we first met
You were producing spoken
Word in the suburbs
Since then, you’ve founded
Toronto poetry slam
Ran two festivals
Built a career through
Writing plays, doing reviews
And inspiring youth
You started up and
Then smartly moved on from your
Digital journal
You’ve mentored and shared
Introduced thousands to this
Medium. Grown up
While helping others
Grow out of their hardened shells
Through spoken workshops.
When I think on you
And your legacy so far
I see accolades
But mostly I see
That you’ve moved at your own pace
Made choices that are
Divergent, heart felt,
Authentic to who you are
And who you have been
You’ve dribbled your way
To be a reviewer for
The Washington Post
Driven to the lane
With your one man play Jewnique
And still managed to
Build your own genre.
Performance Journalism?
That Dave, is Carter
Through the legs perfect
Ten, all-star two thousand slam
Dunk competition,
Wow. You are and have
always been half Sliverbug
and half Davemazing
-Written by Sean McGarragle, friend and Salonnière – Death Rides a Unicorn Events
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Which ‘hood are you in?
I live in the Hillcrest Village area of Toronto.
What do you do?
I’m a spoken word and theatre artist, journalist, editor, writing coach and expert smoothie maker. My latest solo show Before & After debuted in March 2023 and my latest collection of poetry, As Close to the Edge Without Going Over, came out in 2018. I’m also a writing coach and work with both classrooms and individuals who want to level up their writing ability.
For more than 15 years, I was artistic director and the host of Toronto Poetry Slam, a spoken word series taking place at the Drake Hotel on Queen St. W. He is also the founder of the now-defunct Suburban Spoken Word reading series.
What are you currently working on?
I’m editing and fine-tuning my new solo show and talking to venue partners on how I can bring this to more audiences in Canada in 2024 and 2025. I’m also dabbling with a screenplay and a new poetry collection.
Where can we find your work?
You can subscribe to my YouTube channel to stay updated on sneak peeks into my solo show work, and my personal website will soon offer details on how you can check out Before & After at a venue near you. You can also follow me on Instagram.
