Slam values & principles
If you want to participate in a slam, bring two pieces of poetry that are each about less than 3 minutes in length.
The second piece is important, since there is a second round for the top scorers.
For that matter, so is the first piece, since you won't advance to the next round if you don't score high.
Scoring: There will be 5 judges selected from the audience & there will be a calibration poet to start the evening. You will be judged on the strength of your poem and the strength of your performance. (Memorizing your poems will usually get you a better score)
1st place poet gets $50!
2nd place poet gets $25!
The Slam is first and foremost a place where everybody in the room should feel comfortable. The audience should have endless support for the performers & the performers should have respect for the audience.
Despite the competition aspect, The Slam is meant to solidify our community-sense. We've all got something we want to yell at a roomful of people, so let's come out and celebrate the freedom we have to do just that--without abusing that freedom.
Except the judges. Feel free to boo them. They can take it.
THANK YOU,
THE PEAL
Slam is…
- the competitive art of performance poetry.
- the democratization of verse.
- an artform that emphasizes writing and performance.
- designed for the audience to react vocally and openly to all aspects of the show, including the poet's performance, the judges' scores, and the host's banter.
- a more inclusive, more diverse space for non-traditional audiences and poets than the typical poetry reading.
Marc Smith, early slam pioneer:
- The purpose of poetry (and indeed all art) is not to glorify the poet but rather to celebrate the community to which the poet belongs.
- The show and the show's effect upon the audience are more important than any one individual's contribution to it.
- NO audience should be thought of as obligated to listen to the poet. It is the poet's obligation to communicate effectively, artfully, honestly, and professionally so as to compel the audience to listen.
Bob Holman, activist, poet, and co-founder of Nuyorican Poets’ Café:
- One of the goals of a poetry slam is to challenge the authority of anyone who claims absolute authority over literary value.
Slam is not…
- an open mic
- a freestyling competition
- apolitical
- a place for ranting for the sake of it.