Benjamin Theolonius Sanders -founder of H.O.P.E., (Hands-On Poetry Experience) is a versatile Memphis-based poet teeming with talent. A fixture on the Memphis poetry scene since November 1997 Sanders was a member of the 1998 and 1999 Memphis Poetry Slam Southeastern Regional Poetry Slam teams. Sanders placed in the top ten individual rankings for the Southeastern Region consecutive years, 1998 and 1999*.
Known by most poets as "IQ", Sanders placed 33rd out of 203 poets competing in the Nation at the Tenth Anniversary National Poetry Slam Championships held in Chicago, August 1999. Following up his performance at Nationals he garnered an 11th place finish at the largest prize money event in the world, The Arkansas Grand Slam November 3-5 1999. The year 2000 has seen continued success with a ranking of 18th in the Southeastern Southern Fried Poetry Slam, the third consecutive year Sanders has placed inthe top 20 of the South. This year at the Y2K National Poetry Slam Championships in Providence, RI, Sanders placed 26th in the nation.
Sanders poetic studies include tutelage by Bob Pack, former director of The Breadloaf Writer's Conference located in Middlebury Vermont, as well as instruction under a locally based guru of verse, Christian Brothers University Professor of English, Dr. Vincent O'Neill.
Sanders's most recognizable body of performance work was regularly displayed at Sidewalk University International Booksellers (renamed Kemet University and The Sproutery) where he featured as a performer at The Jazz Java Poetry Jam. An active participant in Memphis poetry, Sanders also performed at Melt-da Mic Monday, Spiritual Redemption, Java Cabana, and is a house poet for Word from the Baserment. Sanders has been published in the following:
- Skin Deep '94 (Middlebury College)
- Castings 95-96 (Christian Brothers University)
- Castings 1997 (Christian Brothers University)
- The Magician (LeMoyne Owen College)
- The Torch (University of Memphis)
- Sometimes it pours out like mashed grains in Midnight
- Hours- LOC Poetry Anthology 1998
- The Beat The Rhythm, The Poem- LOC Poetry Anthology 1999
