Neil Hilborn

Neil Hilborn (Born August 8, 1990) is a Slam poet who both writes and performs poetry. His poems often detail personal experiences and battles with mental illness or other disorders. He is best known for his poem "OCD" which has garnered critical acclaim online. Hilborn regularly tours to perform his poetry at colleges and other venues. 2 Early Life Hilborn was born in Houston, Texas and became interested in creative writing at an early age, writing his first poem at only 8 years-old. Hilborn was diagnosed with OCD at a young age, and was additionally diagnosed with Bipolar disorder in college. Though he did not originally use poetry as a coping mechanism, when he was a teenager his work shifted toward helping him deal with his disorders. Shortly after graduating high school, Hilborn decided to leave Houston for Saint Paul, Minnesota, where he attended Macalester College. It was there, during his sophomore year, that he began writing spoken word. He joined their Slam Poetry team, and in 2011 the team placed first at the College National Poetry Sla