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!
Email this article to a friendIf you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
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.
Email this article to a friendIf you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
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.
Email this article to a friendIf you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Lewd, Loud, and Proud: Dudes Who Slam Poetry
June 30, 2008
Do you yawn at poetry? Does the idea of reading verse and meter make you want to curl up in a little ball and fall fast asleep? Well, you can forget about that nap because I’m about to show you how poetry can get your blood pounding, your fist pumping, and your belly heaving with snickers, giggles, and guffaws.
In recent centuries, we’ve come to view poetry as a written art form. But it wasn’t always so. Poetry is an oral tradition and in the last few decades there’s been an uprising among some very hammy poets who’ve taken to the stage and declared slam the next great literary movement.
They are writers and performers. Artists and visionaries. Comedians, philosophers, and nerds. They give good voice. They are lewd, loud, and proud. These are the men of slam poetry.
Taylor Mali
photo credit: BrodieAdler
Taylor Mali is one of the first slam poets I discovered and I was hooked immediately. He’s a brilliant and relevant writer, and his delivery is impeccable. Some slam poets take the performance aspect way over the top while others just mutter their poems without any flair at all. Taylor’s work is absolute perfection, which is why this man has quickly become one of my favorite contemporary poets.
You don’t read Taylor’s poems and you don’t listen to them either. You experience them. The first time I heard him reading What Teachers Make, he had me hollering “Yeah! Take that!” I had never realized that poetry could get me so riled up.
Taylor often explores teaching and education in his work. Like Lilly Like Wilson is another gem that had me grinning and nodding along. Is it a true story? Fiction? I was so inspired by this poem I actually created a character named Lily Wilson and now I have no idea what to do with her. I don’t even know if she’s legal.
It’s not all about education! See if Taylor doesn’t seduce you just a little bit with Giving Good Voice. This piece is surprising, witty, and may as well be the slam anthem for lovers.
Do yourself a favor and learn more about Taylor and his work at taylormali.com.
Shappy Seasholtz
Remember when I said some of these guys take the performance aspect a little over the top? Uncle Shappy leans that way. Nevertheless, he always makes me laugh. Yes, poetry can be funny. It can also be political. But how often have you heard a poem that was both funny and political? Shappy pulls it off with All American A-hole.
Now, we’re all pretty Internet savvy and I know some of you are big old geeks just like me. If you’re a Star Wars fan, let me hear you say ho-oh! You know you want to say it. I can recite Yoda. Why? Because I Am That Nerd.
Check out uncleshappy.com, where you’ll also find a link to Shappy’s girlfriend, slam poet pioneer Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz. She’s currently battling Taylor Mali for the top spot on my favorite poets list. I can pretty much guarantee you’ll hear more about her from me. But we’re talking about the dudes today.
Mayhem Poets
These guys are going to blow your freaking mind. I would even go so far as to say that if you hate poetry, these guys might change your mind. James Chartrand, I am talking to YOU! You can tell me how you don’t like podcasts and poetry until human beings start morphing into wild animals. But you can’t listen to Femail and tell me you don’t like it. A lot. Check it out and have a laugh. It’s on me.
If poetry is magic, these guys are sort of like the arch wizards. You just know they were first in line when Mother Nature was handing out muses. Martin Luther Queen is another captivating example of their lyrical talent. These guys got skill, straight up.
Get all the dirt on these four fine fellows at mayhempoets.com. And do note that they are easy on the eyes as well as the ears.
I Love Mongo
Mongo is THE MAN! He’s the emcee for IndieFeed Performance Poetry and I LOVE Mongo! If it weren’t for him, I would know next to nothing about slam poetry and I’d have no idea that when I travel to New York (if I ever get the chance), my first order of business will be to visit The Bowery Poetry Club. I am filled with gushing gratitude to Mongo for all the hard work he does so that folks like me can become slam addicts. Mongo, you rock!
Be sure to visit the IndieFeed site, which features a list of all the poets and links to the full audio of each performance that has been featured on the podcast. You can also subscribe via iTunes. I do.
Email this article to a friendIf you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Devilish, Daring, and Demure: Meet the Hottest Women in Poetry
May 7, 2008
Poetry month came and went. I never had a chance to reveal my favorite poets and poems. That’s because every time I sat down to review my poetry collections and choose a few faves, it looked like I was going to write something that resembled a book rather than a blog post. Finally, I narrowed it down to a manageable number. We’re going to start by taking a look at three poetry queens and in a couple of weeks I will reveal the kings.
Aphra Behn
She lived during the 1600s so you might assume she was a prim and proper lady who did whatever her husband or the king told her. You would be wrong. Aphra broke all the rules and her ability to shock and surprise lives on pretty vividly in her poetry.
During a time when the few women poets were upper class and did so as a hobby, Aphra established herself as Britain’s first professional woman writer. Ladies, take note, because Virginia Woolf said, “All women together ought to let flowers fall upon the tomb of Aphra Behn, for it was she who earned them the right to speak their minds.”
I can’t say I agree with Virginia one hundred percent (isn’t that a natural right rather than an earned one?), but Aphra, even after over 300 years, definitely stands out in the crowd of historical writers. Not only because she was a spy, a playwright, and the first paid female writer, she was also deliciously dirty and wrote poems that were blatantly erotic and peppered with humor. Of her, Anne Finch said, “a little too loosely she writ.” We like that in a seventeenth century chick.
Selected reading (i.e. my favorites): The Willing Mistress, The Disappointment, The Libertine
If you don’t crack a sly grin at the end of each of these poems… well… read them again!
Emily Dickinson
Who hasn’t heard of Emily Dickinson? Before J.K. Rowling wowed the world with Harry Potter, Miss Dickinson was the most famous woman writer to have ever lived. And not just because she wrote great poetry.
Emily bucked the social expectations of her time by never marrying and becoming an eccentric agoraphobic who always dressed in white. Despite her odd ways, she was much beloved and known around town as the Amherst Myth.
Emily was born and raised in Amherst, Massachusetts during the 1800s and it was clear by the time Emily became an adult that she was marching to the beat of a different drum, which is why many people are surprised to learn she had an extremely normal childhood and grew up in a happy, affluent family. Yet Emily gave up a life of normalcy to pursue her one and only love: poetry.
She locked herself away from the Victorian world whose expectations she rebuffed and threw herself into books and writing. Not much is known about her love life or whether she had one but one thing is certain: Emily Dickinson was wracked with unparalleled literary intensity.
The majority of her poems were found after her death, untitled but neatly written and bound. They are usually numbered or titled by their first lines. Emily Dickinson is also a poet whose biography and poetry play well off each other, building a special mystery that will draw you in wondering who this enigmatic woman really was.
Selected reading: (271) A solemn thing, (288) I’m Nobody!, (384) No Rack can torture me, (441) This is my letter to the World, (569) I reckon — when I count at all, (712) Because I could not stop for Death
There’s a lot of Dickinson poems to explore. This is a very small portion of what she left us. Most of these are short, quick reads.
Dorothy Parker
Dorothy Parker is probably the writer most loved by dress-wearing feminists. She was cool, dry, and witty beyond measure. She put her own flaws under a magnifying glass and wrote about them, letting the world laugh at her but there’s a sense that somewhere inside, Dorothy Parker was not laughing.
She is the woman who smiles and nods niceties while whispering obscene, comedic insults against all of society under her breath. I imagine when she cast her eyes over a person, she saw beyond the visible and I’d bet she could give a look that made anyone on the receiving end feel uncomfortably naked.
Dorothy catapulted to fame during the 1920s and 1930s after she coined “Brevity is the soul of lingerie” for an ad. Her job? To write photograph captions for Vogue. After that, she went to work for Vanity Fair. She was also a prominent member of the Algonquin Hotel’s Round Table, which means she was in with the in crowd. She also helped shape the New Yorker, which is no small accomplishment and doesn’t look too bad on anyone’s resume, even these days.
Like many writers, Dorothy experienced turbulence in life. She married bisexual writer, Alan Campbell, with whom she had several breakups and reconciliations. After an abortion in 1923, she attempted suicide (the first attempt of many). She and Campbell earned over $5000 a week in Hollywood at one time (that was a lot of money in those days) and were later blacklisted as communists during the McCarthy era.
Her poetry is delightfully wit-tickling and her quotes are unforgettable ( she wrote “men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses”). Though much of her work expresses a particular sense of self-dissatisfaction, it’s clear that Dorothy Parker’s dissatisfaction went beyond self and extended to all of humanity, especially the gents. However, she delivered it with language that smirks and smarts and satisfies.
Selected Reading: Comment, Interview, Resumé
* * *
Now it’s your turn. Who are your favorite ladies of poetry? What attracts you to a poem or poet? Obviously, I’m drawn to the rebels, the rule-breakers, and the eccentrics. Do you prefer women poets over male writers or does it matter? Take a look at your book or poetry collection and see if it’s gender balanced.
Sources: The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women: The Traditions in English
Email this article to a friendIf you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
