Slam Poetry Links and Resources
September 3, 2008
In August, we explored the world of performance poetry with An Introduction to Slam Poetry and a look at Slam Poetry’s Wonder Woman.
Before that, we also met the Lewd, Loud, and Proud Men of the slam world.
Are You Ready to Get Your Slam On?
Now it’s time to really let the slam poets out of their cages. Here are some links and resources to information and resources on slam and performance poetry.
Slam Poetry Websites
Wikipedia may not be a primary or reliable resource but the moderators usually keep the facts straight and include lots of references. Check out the poetry slam entry.
Visit the mother ship, the National Poetry Slam website. It’s jam packed with news and information.
I haven’t had a chance to really dig into Spoken Word Art, but the site features a blog and it looks like a prime resource for learning about performance and slam poetry.
Slam Poetry Audio & Podcast
Indiefeed Performance Poetry hosted by Mongo is my all time favorite podcast. If you only click on one link in this post, make it this one.
Slam Poetry Video
Visit Urbana Poetry’s YouTube page to watch tons of awe-inspiring live performances.
It’s one of the most well known performance poetry productions: The Def Poetry Jam. The site is currently down for maintenance, but it’ll be back up soon so be sure to bookmark it. In the meantime, you can watch it if you have HBO or you can get Def Poetry Jam DVDs
Committing Poetry in Times of War is a film that explores freedom of speech for poets and artists and the violations of those freedoms.
Slam Poetry Reading
Amazon has so many slam poetry books
There’s Always More
Do you have a slam or performance poetry resource to share? Tell us about it in the comments. If you check out these links and resources, come back and let’s talk about them. Have a favorite? Find one that turned you off? Share and discuss!
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Slam Poetry’s Wonder Woman
August 21, 2008
Disclaimer: This post is safe for work (SFW) but some of the links and the video are not!
Back in June you met the lewd, loud, and proud dudes of slam poetry. Now meet one gal who could take them all on.
She’s got all the ingredients — talent, spunk, and a penchant for performing. Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz is to slam poetry what Wonder Woman is to the Justice League. She can get down and dirty like a porn star and just as easily, she can wax literary about love.
IndieFeed’s Mongo introduces her as a “boot-stomping, whip-slinging sass machine,” an apt description to be sure.
Here’s the skinny:
Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz is a New York City-based poet and author. Founder and host of the three-time National Poetry Slam Championship venue, NYC-Urbana, Cristin has authored four books of poetry and has performed throughout the U.S. and Australia.
Want to learn more about her? Visit Cristin online at www.aptowicz.com.
Now, let’s dig in and check out some of Cristin’s performances. We’ve got video, audio, and text. She’s made herself available to us in every format so let’s take a peek at a true poetry rock star.
Watch Her Live and in Color
Check it Out Loud
Here are a few select audio pieces. To listen, follow the link, then click on the POD symbol next to the title.
To Whom it May Concern - I have a feeling every Writing Forward reader will relate to this poem. Listen all the way to end and notice how loudly the audience is stomping and cheering. That’s the mark of a slam master right there.
Mother - This is one of the earliest slam performances I ever heard and to this day it’s still one of my favorites. I love it extra because it reminds me of my own mom.
Estephania - An ode to the grit and glory of life as young, awkward misfit.
Now, Give Back
If you’re crazy about Cristin, show your love and buy her books, and if you’re ever in New York City, be sure to stop by the Bowery Poetry Club on a Tuesday night to check out Urbana Poetry.
Cristin also has four books of published poetry. These are all on my wish list. Which one are you going to get?
Do you have a favorite performance poet or piece that you’d like to share? Are you enjoying slam poetry month or are you eager to move on to some other writing topic? Let it rip in the comments.
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An Introduction to Slam Poetry
August 13, 2008
This month we’re exploring the world of slam poetry. What better way to kick off our adventure than with a basic, no-frills introduction to the world of slam poetry and poetry slams?
You might think poetry is just a bunch of dull rhymes about nature or silly lines that drone on about romance and love and all things thick and mushy. But that’s not what slam poetry’s about. It’s loud, it’s in your face, and it’s colorful. Or, it’s eerily quiet, mysterious, and muted. And it will stop poetry’s greatest cynics dead in their tracks and have them frothing at the mouth, begging for more.
From sex and politics to religion and culture, no topic is off limits. Slam poets are artists, performers, teachers, cops. They craft their words and then deliver them with flair and gusto. Shakespeare would love it.
What is Slam Poetry?
The big difference between slam and other forms of poetry is that slam poetry is written to be performed in a competitive setting. That’s why sometimes you’ll hear it referred to as performance poetry. However, note that performance poetry is meant to be performed while slam is distinct in its purpose for competition.
Unlike open mics and other venues where poetry is read aloud, slam poems are composed with all the trappings of a stage performance — vocalization, gestures, facial expressions. Props and musical instruments aren’t usually allowed in actual competitions but some recordings or even live performances will have musical accompaniment.
What is a Poetry Slam?
A poetry slam is an event at which poets perform their work in a competitive setting. Audiences are encouraged to participate by hooting, shouting, and even booing. Performances are scored by a panel of judges.
The most important poetry slam in the U.S. is the National Poetry Slam. According to its website, the National Poetry Slam “started as a bardic grudge match between Chicago and San Francisco poets in 1990.” It continues to this day with dozens of teams of poets competing for the most coveted title in slam poetry: winner of the national championship!
Is Competition Really Necessary?
No! That’s why performance poetry and slam poetry are so close they’re often used as interchangeable terms. There are plenty of venues where poets may perform slam-like poems without entering into competition with one another.
The most well-known venue for performance poetry is HBO’s Def Poetry Jam. If you have HBO, then you already have a front row seat at one of the greatest shows on earth.
How Did it All Begin?
Mark Smith, also known as Slam Papi, started the slam poetry tradition at the Get Me High Lounge in Chicago in 1984. In his own words, Smith was “looking for a way to breathe life into the open mike poetry format.”
Less than two years later, Marc Smith took the show to the owner of Chicago jazz club The Green Mill. Smith proposed a weekly poetry competition that would take place on Sunday nights, and the Uptown Poetry Slam was born. According to Smith’s website, “The Green Mill evolved into a mecca for performance poets, and the Uptown Poetry Slam still continues nearly 15 years after its inception.”
It didn’t take long for slam to reach out and capture the passion of poets all across the nation. By 1987, slams were popping up in Michigan, New York, San Francisco, and even as far away as Alaska.
Poetry slams stepped into a more official arena in 1990 when the first National Poetry Slam was held in San Francisco. Today, teams and individuals compete annually at the National Poetry Slam, which makes its way around the country, visiting different cities each year.
Are You Ready to Slam?
The best thing about slam poetry is that you have two opportunities to enjoy it — as a performer and as an audience member. What strikes me as odd about slam poetry is that most writers are known for being somewhat withdrawn, if not all-out anti-social. Slam flips that stereotype on its head and puts writers front and center where they can bask in the spotlight and use a few of the tricks they learned back in high school drama class.
Have you ever been to a slam? Better yet — have you performed poetry of your own in any capacity? At an open mic or any other kind of poetry reading? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments section and stay tuned because there’s more slam coming next week when I’ll highlight a few key players in the slam community.
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