Roscoe Burnems

An audience can expect Roscoe to be fun, heavy, vulnerable, and careful. Stretching his writing muscles from the things that tear us apart to things that bring us together. Audiences will laugh, cry, and leave asking themselves questions about their own human experience and energized to find the answers.

Douglas Powell, artistically known as Roscoe Burnems is a Richmond, Virginia native. He is a dedicated father of three amazing children. When he isn't parenting, he is a spoken-word artist, comedic entertainer, host, award winning slam poet, educator, and Richmond’s first poet laureate. Roscoe has dedicated his career to using spoken-word as a therapeutic process, creating challenging conversations, and showing others how to do the same. Roscoe is a passionate writer and performer that uses his platform to highlight the struggles of under-served communities, mental health, and the resilience of the human spirit. With a unique combination of humor and thought-provoking poetry, Roscoe Burnems takes audiences through a layered journey filled with a myriad of emotions. He has been described as disarming, hilarious, motivational, compassionate, and informative.
As a slam poet he is a decorated artist that has won several local and national competitions. He is a National Poetry Slam Champion, two-time Lake Eden Arts Festival Champion, three-time southeen regional finalist, and two time Underground Poetry Slam Champion. He is the author of three poetry collections, and has traveled around the world performing for all ages. When he is not traveling he is a teaching artist in Virginia, showing adults and youth how to use poetry as a therapeutic process and to create change in their communities.

His one-hour poetry and comedy special Traumedy is currently streaming on Amazon Prime, Tubi, and other platforms.

Douglas Powell/Roscoe Burnems doesn't require much. A stage, mic, and mic stand are the only necessary things.