The Poetry Slam is a peculiar genre of performance poetry with peculiar rules: 3 minute time limit; no props; judged olympic-point style by members of the audience. Spawned in Chicago, it's a phenom that's spread to over 30 cities nationwide & international. It promotes & popularizes poetry (where else have you ever seen 2000 people on their feet screaming for poetry?); purists sometimes have reservations about the restrictions & the competitive aspects, which can get pretty cut-throat. Easily understood & accessible poetry, as well as dramatic monologues & humorous material, tends to go over well; quieter & more thoughtful/complicated work sometimes gets lost in the crowd. This newsletter provides networking & access information for Slams in various cities, as well as reports from the most recent national Slam and news of upcoming nationals (to be held in SanFran--get on the stick if you plan to organize a team). If you're tired of the usual poetry reading format, this might be the spur towards something more energetic & alive.--luigi
This review originally appeared in TapRoot Reviews #2,
Contact the editor, luigi-bob drake, at Burning Press
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