Columbus Turning Up the Nats Heat
WOW! What a week for slamming in Columbus, Ohio!
Black Pearl Poetry held its grand slam to choose its first National Poetry Slam team on Tuesday night. Was a HOT night, with poets duking it out to see who had the chops to represent Columbus' alter personality in its first venture at the national level. Scores were close, the poetry was intense, and the team, in the end, came together with very strong contenders. These poets are primed, pumped, and ready to do their thing in Austin, Texas. Black Pearl's team: Rare, Will, Tiffani and Ed. Each gun is loaded with killer ammo. Will be interesting to see how they fare in the wild west.
Also hit Writer's Block tonight (Thursday) to catch their preliminary bout for team contention. I am excited about the things I see at the WB, too! With the new rules (no poet from last year eligible to represent Columbus on this year's team) opening doors for new voices to hit the national trail, poets have stepped up their games (the craft) and their performance to take slam by the throat this year. Since their still in their qualifiers until June, it wouldn't be fair to name names and shout accolades for one more than others, but trust me: Writer's Block will be coming on strong at nationals, too.
This will be an exciting year for Columbus poetry in Austin. I expect to see great things happen. Am I predicting a win for the city among the corn fields? Well, I'm not ruling anything out. I'm seeing at least seven poets capable of rockin' the house in any venue.
I'm actually glad to see another side of Columbus' poetic community will be represented this year. We are a diverse and growing spoken word environment. The added influx of new talent can only help boost arts awareness throughout our community. The points are, indeed, not the point--the point is poetry plucks the thread of life every bit as intimately and beautifully as music can. It is time for new awareness of the arts throughout our community, and these two venues are bringing about change, whether they recognize it or not.
Now all I want is to see the academic and traditional poetry communities begin to support their own venues as ardently as spoken word/performance poetry venues are supported. It frustrates me to see long-running venues like Larry's struggle to maintain consistent attendance even in spite of the city-wide smoking ban. Poetry has returned to the people. It is time for the people who've retreated to their homes to seek publication to return to the art of live rendering of their poetry.
Our words were not meant to languish on the page. There are people who will never go buy a poetry book, yet our words can breath life within their hearing and create a whole new audience for an art form long eroded by "fast food arts" such as movies and television. That is the purpose of slam. I believe many of our more traditional poetry audiences have forgotten that poetry was first born as a spoken art, an oral tradition. Wake up, academia: Spoken word may soon be all that people hear in terms of live poetry.
Black Pearl Poetry held its grand slam to choose its first National Poetry Slam team on Tuesday night. Was a HOT night, with poets duking it out to see who had the chops to represent Columbus' alter personality in its first venture at the national level. Scores were close, the poetry was intense, and the team, in the end, came together with very strong contenders. These poets are primed, pumped, and ready to do their thing in Austin, Texas. Black Pearl's team: Rare, Will, Tiffani and Ed. Each gun is loaded with killer ammo. Will be interesting to see how they fare in the wild west.
Also hit Writer's Block tonight (Thursday) to catch their preliminary bout for team contention. I am excited about the things I see at the WB, too! With the new rules (no poet from last year eligible to represent Columbus on this year's team) opening doors for new voices to hit the national trail, poets have stepped up their games (the craft) and their performance to take slam by the throat this year. Since their still in their qualifiers until June, it wouldn't be fair to name names and shout accolades for one more than others, but trust me: Writer's Block will be coming on strong at nationals, too.
This will be an exciting year for Columbus poetry in Austin. I expect to see great things happen. Am I predicting a win for the city among the corn fields? Well, I'm not ruling anything out. I'm seeing at least seven poets capable of rockin' the house in any venue.
I'm actually glad to see another side of Columbus' poetic community will be represented this year. We are a diverse and growing spoken word environment. The added influx of new talent can only help boost arts awareness throughout our community. The points are, indeed, not the point--the point is poetry plucks the thread of life every bit as intimately and beautifully as music can. It is time for new awareness of the arts throughout our community, and these two venues are bringing about change, whether they recognize it or not.
Now all I want is to see the academic and traditional poetry communities begin to support their own venues as ardently as spoken word/performance poetry venues are supported. It frustrates me to see long-running venues like Larry's struggle to maintain consistent attendance even in spite of the city-wide smoking ban. Poetry has returned to the people. It is time for the people who've retreated to their homes to seek publication to return to the art of live rendering of their poetry.
Our words were not meant to languish on the page. There are people who will never go buy a poetry book, yet our words can breath life within their hearing and create a whole new audience for an art form long eroded by "fast food arts" such as movies and television. That is the purpose of slam. I believe many of our more traditional poetry audiences have forgotten that poetry was first born as a spoken art, an oral tradition. Wake up, academia: Spoken word may soon be all that people hear in terms of live poetry.
posted by Rose | 11:20 PM
1 Comments:
Hear, hear.
Great post. Thanks.
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