Any slam poets?

[lizrumping]

Is anyone here into slam or performance poetry? It's a passion of mine and I'd love to talk about it with some others!

[Yukiora 24]

Iv'e always wanted to try that! But my nerves get ta best of me.

[lizrumping]

Iv'e always wanted to try that! But my nerves get ta best of me.

I was really nervous my first time reading at a slam, but it gets so much easier after that.

[Rebecca8]

Iv'e always wanted to try that! But my nerves get ta best of me.

I was really nervous my first time reading at a slam, but it gets so much easier after that.

I guess it is difficult with almost anything at first place but once you do it correctly, it becomes a piece of cake for you.

[jfobbe]

I love slam poetry!! It seems like it'd be really fun to do. I love watching performances and even videos of them on youtube.

[shayna]

Someone was telling me how their goal is to be able to fully recite "Howl". Little did I know it is 45 minutes long!

[FNAWrite]

"Someone was telling me how their goal is to be able to fully recite "Howl". "

I've seen film of Alan Ginsburg reciting "Howl" in 1956 and 1995. He stayed on the page (and still stumbled over lines).

Sure I've slammed. Poetry Slam is just a 'poetic' name for reciting poetry.

[anomalocaris]

I'll watch it, and I write poetry at times, but I would never be able to perform. Here's an odd though -- isn't rap music basically slam poetry?

[FNAWrite]

If you look at poetry as spoken word then no rap music, which is presented with musical (or otherwise) accompaniment, is not a presentation of poetry any more than any song is.

[anomalocaris]

Except that most songs are sung, and rap is generally not sung, but spoken. I guess it does have some accompaniment, but isn't it generally just rhythm? I don't listen to it much, so just going by the bit I've heard here and there.

[stoppoppingtheP]

umm... what is slam poetry?

[qwietstorm]

I write poetry but have yet to participate in a slam. What kind of topics do you like to write about and when was your first slam?

[Nreader8]

I love slam poetry! I have written just a couple so far, and am going to my first slam in about two weeks!:) I am planning on reading two at the slam and one of them is a story about a gay couple and the other is about dreams, the future, and stars:) What about you all>?

[FNAWrite]

Poetry slams are competitive readings/recitation/performance of poetry. There is usually a cash prize awarded by audience acclamation or less commonly by a panel of judges.

"I am planning on reading two at the slam" - Depending on the format of the slam you may not get to read two. As I note above, slams are competitions. In the 'round robin' format, how well one's first poem is received determines whether a reader moves into the second round. I would suggest having three (3) poems ready to go since I have seen lots of 3 round slams.

[newcement]

Slam poetry is very fun! A good friend of mine invited me to a weekly slam poetry in downtown Portland, OR and I've now gone several times and always enjoy it.