I wish I could save this for Monday, as I know Friday nights are wack for asking for views on any subject, being that peeps have lives and dig going out and avoiding their journals through the weekend, but hey, what the hell…
I was having a conversation with a young female college student who mentioned that she “writes poetry slam.” I let it pass, but inside I cringed, and regretted not going into it. I will actually see her at my show tonight, so I may bring it back up. Maybe not.
My reason for cringing is that to me the phrase poetry slam is akin to open mic or festival or horse race — it’s an event format and never a style. Granted, there are surely competitors in poetry slams who sound similar to others, say new poets who mimic other new-ish poets, a style of performance that is acquainted with modern spoken word, but not relegated to poetry slams. It’s a style I refer to as universal poet voice. It is used by all ages, ethnicities, genders, and beliefs, and It bothers me so much that it’s probably the one style specifically attributed to poetry slam.
I bring all this up because I am floored by how many people I run into on the road that know what poetry slam even is. I feel like a surprisingly large amount of Americans have heard the phrase poetry slam. Of those that know the phrase poetry slam:
*a quarter of them have no clue what it is (heard it in the media somehow, i.e. The Simpsons, Rolling Stone)
*a quarter of them have an image in their head of what a poetry slam looks like (usually an poetry reading)
*a quarter of them have attended one
*a quarter of them have participated in one (at least as a judge)
I suppose I just want to get a detailed view from people inside and outside of poetry slams.
What is YOUR definition of a poetry slam?
Also, what do you call all the other aspects of spoken word and performance poetry? Like styles, genres, strategies, and anything deserving of a definitive name? This is your chance to say all you’ve wanted to about poetry slam.
I have my thoughts on it, but I want to leave my full description out of this as to not influence the views of others. I think most might agree with my views, but I’ve given enough detail above.
ADDITION: Does any of this matter? Why or why not? Does a poetry “slammer” exist off stage?
ALSO: Read Tony Brown’s extensive review/definition of poetry slam here at GotPoetry.com
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Word to the nerd.
Bunny up.
I kind of get what she’s saying, although I agree that it’s wrong.
When I first started doing gigs with Chris, we mooted the idea of gearing up to doing a slam at some point. It never really happened, though.
When I first mentioned it to some of the poets who were performing with us, one of them said that it just wasn’t his style. When I asked him what he meant, he thought that Poetry Slams were all about doing ‘a capella rap.’ Then I played him some of your stuff and we hosted to an Elvis McGonagal gig, and suddenly he saw that poetry slam could be something totally different, if only all types of poets went to it.
Another poet who I suggested slams to wasn’t so sure. But, one day she was in Oxford and signed herself up for Hammer and Tongue, Steve Larkin’s poetry slam. Of course, she won it. Since then, her performance improved greatly and now she’s doing full on shows of her material.
So, for me a poetry slam is like an open mic night, but all the performers have really, really, really worked at the poems they’re going to perform [where as I'll use open mics to try out new material] because they know it will be judged, and it’s the compeitive nature of the slam that really makes some of the poems come alive.
Bryce