Democrat and Chronicle
Rochester, NY

In her turn at the microphone Saturday during the "Def Meets Deaf" poetry jam, Luane Davis Haggerty of Henrietta delivered a poem in American Sign Language, recited Shakespeare in a theatrical voice and half-sang an original piece she wrote.

"I'm what I would consider a bridge person..." Haggerty said, "standing between two cultures."

Haggerty, a teacher at the Rochester Institute of Technology's National Technical Institute for the Deaf, was one of several performers who wowed the crowd during the jam, which combined poets from the deaf community with slam poets, who perform poetry competitively.

The event was held for the second year at the Lovin' Cup in Henrietta.

About 50 people attended.

Reenah Golden of Rochester, coach of the Slam High team, performed two poems in honor of Black History Month.

"This is one of my favorite things every year," Golden said.

AVERGHESE@DemocratandChronicle.com