Since the National Poetry Slam is fast approaching, I wanted to bring up the Gabrielle Bouliane Volunteer Award. In addition to what I wrote about it initially, I feel that the prize should include:

a trophy made by a different poet each year
no more than $50 from me or by donation (the specific amount is explained further down)
letters, postcards and love notes from the spoken word community

Upon figuring out a voting system, we’d tally the nominations/votes, then announce a winner. We’d give a a few weeks for people to send in notes and for the creation of the trophy. Then we’d send it all, with a $50 bill to the recipient.

Do we do this for the National Poetry Slam AND the Women of the World AND the Individual World Poetry Slam?

Should I do this at all!? It really is out of love.

Read on and tell me your thoughts on how to make this most efficient.

I truly appreciate any and all concerns, opinions and ideas from the poetry slam community.

Here is the excerpt from my original post on February 11 at MikeMcGee.net:

THE GABRIELLE BOULIANE NATIONAL POETRY SLAM VOLUNTEER AWARD
I don’t have the specifics completely lined up, but every year after the National Poetry Slam, from here on out, I will award one volunteer $50 for their selfless work at that year’s event.

There will be a voting process whether I attend or not, as it will be handled via the internet. People will be nominated and voted on. Essays will have to be written as to why said volunteer deserves the award. The $50 is just to be tradition, as it certainly does not cover any expense laid out by said recipient, but it is to say thank you for all of their help and to put a name to the year’s example of selflessness in poetry slam.

I will create a page on my site for this award and ask a poet each year to design a simple award/plaque/statuette, in Gabrielle’s spirit, to also be awarded along with the monetary prize.

Any and all advice on this concept is certainly welcome.

I chose the National Poetry Slam because of its size and Gabrielle’s affiliation with it.

Your thoughts are a must.

And this one from February 12:

This is a reposted section from my entry yesterday. I need as many ideas on this as possible. I called Rachel McKibbens and she has agreed to be the first to design a physical trophy/prize for this year’s recipient.

Read below, and please post any ideas you can come up with that might make this concept more badass.

I was a bit worried that I might be jumping the gun on naming an award after Gabrielle, but this is for me and her, a private award that has little connection with any organization. Bill MacMillan had lent $50 to Gabs this summer, and so she passed it on to me when I needed it, and I think if I continually pass it on to people, it’s what she would have wanted. It’s only $50, but it’s the principle of who and why they’re receiving it.

Does it need “National Poetry Slam” in the title? I’m pretty convinced it should be for volunteers, but what are your thoughts? Is it wise to wait a week or so after NPS to handle the nominations and voting? I think this will give nominators and voters time to consider their submission. What forum, format and protocol should I use for voting?

I really want to see what the community has to say about this. I will put together a page on my site once all of the details are collected and kinks are worked out. It’s all pretty simple, “Hey, everybody. Who deserves $50 and an award for helping out this year?” Then everyone can vote.

I need the voting to be public, but not anonymous. 1 person, 1 vote. Should I set up a group on Facebook? Should I allow anyone to submit by LiveJournal, Mike McGee Town, and the PoetrySlam.com Forums? I just checked and I am still a member of the forums. Rachel recommended I use the forums. I feel like one place to nominate people, one place to vote makes sense. I don’t want to do it by email, because I want it all to be very public, but I want people to have to be signed in to nominate and to vote. Lay out your structure!

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Word to the nerd.

This entry was written by Mike McGee, posted on 19 July, 2010 at 11:43 AM, filed under Uncategorized and tagged gabrielle bouliane, gabrielle bouliane volunteer award, national poetry slam, volunteer. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Please point them to my one man show debuting in San Francisco on August 8, 15, 22, and 29.

In Search of Midnight: The Mike McGee Show of Awesome

IF YOU KNOW PEOPLE IN SAN JOSE OR THE SOUTH BAY
Tell them I am looking for a room to live in for little money per month. I come and go often and stay gone for long stretches. I can wait until October to move in. I essentially need a closet with a closet. Enough room for a twin bed and small desk or a TV tray. A place to sleep and keep a modicum of stuff.

INDOOR YARD SALE
I am looking to rid myself of about 85% of what I own in Worcester. Melinda will inherit some items, like my perfectly seasoned skillet. If you’re in or around Worcester and want some of my stuff for real cheap or real free, then come on over.
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Word to the nerd.

This entry was written by Mike McGee, posted on 18 July, 2010 at 4:17 PM, filed under Uncategorized and tagged in search of midnight, indoor yard sale, moving, one-man show. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

I guess I jumped the gun yesterday on my flight issue from Boston to SFO.

As of yesterday, there was only one flight available from Boston to the Bay Area total between July 25 and August 5. I held the flight for July 27. As of this morning, there are several flights available… So frustrating. So aggravating.

I just now booked my flight on United Airlines for the morning of Tuesday, August 3rd.

This now means there will be no Kitchen Session on July 24. I am moving the last Kitchen Session back to Friday, July 30.

But I get to stay an extra week in Worcester.

Woot!
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Word to the nerd!

This entry was written by Mike McGee, posted on 17 July, 2010 at 9:24 AM, filed under Uncategorized and tagged boston, flights, flying, moving, sfo, Worcester-Massachusetts. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

MUST HAVE
Betty White Calendar for a good cause

MOVING ON – 11 DAYS LEFT IN WORCESTER
Admittedly, due to expenses, I have been on a deep, deep search for the least expensive flight from BOS to SFO. I found a one-way ticket through United that required 12,500 miles. I have 11,544. Ugh. I purchased 1,000 miles for $67 on United in order to get the ticket. It takes two days for miles to post. I called the airline and held the flight for 3 days. Hopefully it will work, but the sadness lies in the fact that the flight leaves Boston on July 27. It was all I could find. This means I am gone in 11 days. No August for me.

I have been wrought with every emotion possible on this move. Worcester has been so good to me. I cannot express it all at the moment.

MONEY SUCKS ASS(ES)
The hardest part about performance touring for a living is budgeting – living off of what you make during your “tour season.” Summer sucks for touring. Less interest, less gigs. Even if you make good money on the road in the summer/winter, you have to deal with uncomfortable weather, incorrigible travel conditions and high costs.

CHANGES TO THE KITCHEN SESSION SCHEDULE
Because I love Kitchen Sessions so much, I booked four of them at my house for July as a month-long series of final hoorahs here in Worcester, plus Simone Beaubien took on tonight’s “Kitchen Session – Boston #1” in which I am the feature. A week after planning these, I canceled July 10 due to over-extending myself. And this week I moved the July 30 “Tony Brown/My Feature” to Saturday, July 24, which was supposed to be “New York Poets Invade Worcester.” I was really hoping to foster a poet-love-in between New York and New England. The very last Kitchen Session at my house will be July 24 in Worcester.

Geography lesson for you west coasters: New York is not in New England. New England = Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. No one knows why Connecticut made it on the list. It’s wedged between NY and MA, I believe it’s a toll road.

Of the 20+ NYC poets I initially invited, three or four excitedly offered to attend. I’ve learned over the past 1.5 years on this coast that New Yorkers really prefer not leaving New York. Ever. I think people in big cities have this subconscious expectation for small towners to come to them.

“Hey, I live in this giant city. Everybody comes to us.”

To the New York poets I invited: I love you. Deeply. Wet.

I understand money concerns and loads of poets are lacking funds these days, but I think a lot of people underestimate the generosity of my peeps here in New England. New England poets adore other poets. I’ve seen more money get passed to features then at most poetry slams. Reps from Manchester, NH’s “Slam Free or Die” crew are always supporting everyone’s events in New England. I nominate them as the most supportive poets in New England. They’re just really good people. And sexy.

HERE, TAKE THIS, I THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE IT
I wish more people here in New England especially, and the rest of North America would consider having a Kitchen Session in their homes. It can be so fulfilling and if you’ve never experienced spoken word in a crowd of people you really dig, with the performer less than 6 feet away from you, then you don’t know what you’re missing. I will say that the interest in your reading will depend heavily on the personality of your host. Because the event really only has your house to rely on for consistency, so you have to look to the face of your event for the feel of the night. Your host has to be comfortable and free to talk and be themselves.

There is something about a room full of people who came to an event specifically for the event. It’s quite familial.

I could also see people organizing poetry slams in their homes. Imagine the San Jose/McGee’s Kitchen Slam Team or Chicago/Robbie Q’s Laundry Room Slam Team representing at Nationals.

Can’t say this enough: The writing at these events MUST be new or never-before-read work (NONBRW), or poets just won’t be as consistent. When you have 8-15 regional poets doing their signature poems over and over again, you WILL lose interest and you WILL NOT put butts in seats. I guarantee it. Also, it’s good to pressure your features to do a minimum of two NONBRW so that your home event has something to offer the community of regulars who intend to follow the feature to other venues. People who’ve been to a Kitchen Session can sit comfortably knowing they are in for something new throughout the entire night.

Actually, I’d recommend this to anyone starting any type of show.

I am stoked that Boston is putting the moves on creating a more permanent Kitchen Session in the region. It should be awesome because it is in good hands.
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Word to the nerd.

This entry was written by Mike McGee, posted on 16 July, 2010 at 2:17 PM, filed under Uncategorized and tagged kitchen-sessions, moving, San-Jose-California, United States. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Hey-O, weblings.

Went to Minneapolis this past weekend for a coaching-workshop retreat with Team Minneapolis. It went very well and I have returned with a heart full of love for Wonder Dave, Cynthia French, Miles Walser, Ezra Stead, Allison Broeren and her parents, partner (Marlowe) and puppy (The Professor), who, I might add, is too eff’n cute.

They are my rootin’ team for 2010; my “Team Heart.” I love them and I want them to do very well. They are all heart and humor. Such lovely, lovely people.

PLANS FOR HEADING WEST
My schedule is lax for most of July.

–a feature at Simone Beaubien’s “Boston” Kitchen Session on 7/16
–”Kitchen Session #18 – New York Invades Worcester” 7/24

Then my move back to the Bay Area, which coincides with the National Poetry Slam, leading up to my one-man show in San Francisco throughout the month of August: In Search of Midnight.

Now, a caravan of poets is heading to St. Paul, Minnesota from New England. Due to finances and such, I am very much considering joining their trek in order to:

–have one last adventure with NH, MA, ME and RI poets.
–save a bit of cash on a coast-to-coast flight.
–spend a day or two at NPS.

I am really trying to find the best flight possible from Minnesota to the Bay Area, but August is just about the worst possible travel month, aside from the November/December holidays.

If I can make it work and affordable, I will go to NPS for the first two days or so, but I really have to be in San Francisco by August 4 or 5.

Conundrum. Thanks for listening.
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Word to the nerd.

This entry was written by Mike McGee, posted on 13 July, 2010 at 5:50 PM, filed under Personal Updates and tagged August 2010, minnesota, moving west, national poetry slam, st paul. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Live from Minneapolis, MN…

For about the last two years, I’ve fantasized about putting together a truly comprehensive, non-Poetry Slam, Inc. website or wiki on the topic of poetry slam. My biggest drawback has been time and motivation. It is amazingly difficult to get amped-up about a community that only gets amped-up between April and August[!] (as they field teams to compete at the National Poetry Slam.)

I had found a dead wiki on poetry slam and wanted to revive it, but I gave up realizing it would become a time suck and would only fulfill this very personal need to have complete access to the history, lists, who’s-who bios, and stats of the poetry slam world.

Granted, there are so many poetry slams throughout the world. Some are reliably consistent, like the one run by Ko and Rayl at Substanz in Munich, and some exist for one night only. But because there are so many events and no real online source to discover all of them, to keep that information organized and accessible, I feel there is a need for some sort of slam database.

Then I noticed a Facebook wall post by poet and web-head Lindsay Stone for her brand-spanking new site SlamProfile.com So I checked it out and realized that this may be just what the poetry slam world needs.

It is without a doubt a Myspace/Facebook for performance poetry and I believe, if it catches on, it could be the source for poetry slam information, poet profiles and networking. There is no reason for people and poets not to check it out. You can post your audio and videos there, and one does not have to be logged-in to access those files either. That alone should be enough to get poets off of Myspace…

SlamProfile.com has a lot to offer poets, even right now in its earliest stage. I was the 41st poet to join, the water is warm and there is plenty of room. If it catches on, it should feel like a viable, valuable social networking tool for poets in no time.

Go check out SlamProfile.com and add “McGee” as a friend. Tell them I sent you.

And thank you, Lindsay Stone. You’re doing awesome things with it.
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Word to the nerd.

This entry was written by Mike McGee, posted on 9 July, 2010 at 3:50 PM, filed under Uncategorized and tagged facebook, myspace, Performance Poetry and Spoken Word, slamprofile.com, social networking, twitter. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Hey, poetry slammers and regulars. Please read and enjoy this list. Feel free to add to it in the comments. In the spirit of roasting my homies and with lots of love:

You might be a slam poet if…

…the only team you’ve ever been on included 3 other poets.
…you prefer judging someone silently, in a corner and pouting, rather than with numbers.
…you call running away from responsibility and commitments “going on tour.”
…you think your homemade book of poetry might be worth more than $5.00.
…you think someone will actually read said book of poetry.
…you have made a pact to never date another poet, but break that pact at the drop of a pants.
…you think 8.5 out of 10.0 is a low score.
…you bank all of your vacation time each year to go to the National Poetry Slam.
…you tell everybody at the National Poetry Slam that you’re on vacation and getting paid to be there.
…you wouldn’t dare go to the National Poetry Slam if you had to pay for it yourself.
…you are planning a tour as an excuse to move to another city.
…you sign up at literary readings and open mics to “blow them away” with your “performance skills.”
…you hope that [insert poet name] is going to be at [insert event] because they complimented your work that one time and you were sure they were hitting on you.
…you think a viable career path is: 1. Make a slam team; 2. Win Nationals; 3. Get record/movie/TV deal; 4. Become friends with celebrities; 5. Return to perform at local slam as a huge favor to the scene.
…you love conscious hip-hop AND some country.
…you’ve beaten other people in a competition of words with a poem about unity and peace.
…you’ve met Mos Def.
…you’ve bragged to others (who’ve never heard of poetry slam) that you’re on a slam team.
…you have many recipes for ramen noodles, cheap booze and own a counterfeit monthly bus pass.
…you think your poem about oral copulation can not only win a poetry slam, but also change the world’s view on sexuality.
…you think performing in three to ten venues a year is getting your work “out there/making a difference.”
…you are proud of your lowest score ever.
…you have cried for losing a poetry slam.
…you want to be the next Bukowski, Ginsberg and/or Kerouac.
…you are the next Plath.
…you are seeking fame and notoriety through pretty/vulgar three minute rants.
…still have a Myspace account because it’s where people can listen to your “tracks.”
…the old slam guard won’t acknowledge you.
…you wrote poetry at a coffee shop instead of going to college.
…you have five memorized poems and three of them “do well.”
…you’re “looking” for an agent, but don’t do stand-up, play an instrument, do magic/hypnosis, sing or juggle.
…you slept with anyone in Berkeley, California between 1998 and 2006.
…you’ve toured through Los Angeles and lost money.
…you watched Shane Koyczan’s Olympic performance on YouTube.
…two meals in one day and free drinks is “livin’ it up.”
…you can’t remember that one poet’s name, but you just love them to death.
…you complain about Starbucks, McDonald’s, or WalMart, but can be found at one at some point throughout the year.
…you have Kinko’s/copier experience and have been called “a connection.”
…you have tried out for every team in your region because people are expecting to see you at the National Poetry Slam.
…you wonder how your poems would fair in a New York/Boston/Chicago/Berkeley poetry slam.
…you look forward to traveling with people you can’t stand to an event full of people you can’t stand.
…you snap your fingers when something is good or someone is screwing up.
…you prefer your poetry scene to your own family.
…you’ve ended a full day at an all-night diner with a plate of fries or mozzarella sticks, a glass of water, surrounded by poets, all excited about the event you just left, and thought, “Man, what a great night.”

I guess I am a slam poet.
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Word to the nerd.

This entry was written by Mike McGee, posted on 8 July, 2010 at 3:49 AM, filed under Poetry Slam Events and tagged humor, Performance Poetry and Spoken Word, poem, poetry, slam poet list, you might be a slam poet. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Pure joy from xkcd.com

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Word to the nerd.

This entry was written by Mike McGee, posted on 5 July, 2010 at 11:44 PM, filed under Randomness and tagged xkcd.com. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

For you poetry slam experts, nerds and aficionados…

What is the fairest method of scoring a poetry slam without using the 0.0-10.0 scoring system that also has the least potential for manipulation?

I’m listening.

Been talking with Tony Brown about it. We got into too much math and my brain is now swiss cheese.
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Word to the nerd.

This entry was written by Mike McGee, posted on 2 July, 2010 at 10:51 PM, filed under Poetry Slam Events and tagged Performance Poetry and Spoken Word, slam judging, slam scoring. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Writers: You now have a little over 24 hours to get me your poems for consideration of this—> http://tinyurl.com/2wyt8zu

This entry was written by Mike McGee, posted on 1 July, 2010 at 3:11 PM, filed under Personal Updates and tagged funny, humor collection, poetry, short ones for the shitter. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.