An Open Letter to Every Slam Poet Ever

[scottwoods]

To everyone who has ever slammed poetry:

I’m pulling a President’s card today by lodging an executive request of the whole of the Slam community: I am imploring all Old School slammers to re-take Slam stages next year.

Nationals, iWPS, WOWps, local level, regionals…I want to see Slam’s founders/old guard/old school/veterans in them.

I want those don’t

Comments

[radioactiveart]

I'm not sure that "I'm retired from slam" is nonsense. It's a statement that after a phase of your artistic arc has passed, you've found the practice of slam to be no longer amenable to what you need to do.

Perhaps there's an alternative approach that needs doing too -- doing a better job celebrating the "post slam" POETIC endeavors (versus the acting, commercials, endorsements, etc.) of old schoolers.

None of this is to say that you're wrong to call for this, but for some, the slam REALLY isn't where THEY need to be...and that's OK. There's more to performance poetry than slam, and I'd love to see those efforts showcased more for folks.

[psylosyren]

While an adolescent, all I wanted to do was witness the veterans of slam do their thing; this was before Def Poetry, before references made in the Simpsons, and well before White House sponsored Poetry Jams. My desire to see these people that I had only heard of via the successes of Maggie Estep, King Missile, and Henry Rollins is what led me to the stage. The first time I watched Jack McCarthy perform, I wept. Sadly, as I started to participate more in Poetry Slam, it became less likely that I would be able to watch and hear the poets that helped me fall head over heels in love with the art form. I am all for celebrating the beginnings. I want to celebrate all of you. I want to see you and hear you! However, I want people in my local scene to know that this does not mean I will be jumping on stage anytime soon. Because "the slam REALLY isn't where [I] need to be...and that's OK" indeed.

[radioactiveart]

The question for any of us "retirees" is, I think, how much responsibility we feel we owe the slam audience versus how much we feel toward ourselves, our work, and the newer audiences we've found...some of which are better "audiences" than the slam community currently offers. (That sounds harsh, and I don't mean it to be...it has more to do with the atmosphere than the willingness of individuals to listen.)

I'm still mulling this over for myself.

[sancochao]

Tony, you do realize that the first time I saw you at a reading, it was at a slam reading. The Nuyorican, to be exact. Granted, you weren't slamming, but I do remember thinking how much better you were than the slammers. And that, in part, made me think I could do what you guys do.

Part of what should be considered about slam audiences is the potential to influence any budding writers that may be in said audience. Like me that night. I think that's what tipped it for me. I'll be slamming next year. And I'm bringing all the poems that don't "work for slam." What the hell. I told Guy LeCharles Gonzalez I'd only slam for two years. I slammed for louderARTS in 2004. That means I got one more left in the tank!

[sancochao]

and mind you, Tony, this is ME talking! I have a very well-developed reputation for hating 95% of the spoken word/performance poetry/angry bird screeching that's out there. But. There's also an audience out there. Some nights it's an audience of one (meaning, only one person listening), but that's still an audience. So. Figure I'll give it a shot this year and go back to shooing them off my lawn next year.

[scottwoods]

RIGHT.

[stefan11]

Exactly!

[radioactiveart]

I'm pretty certain I was still actively slamming all the time back then, Rich.

[sancochao]

Mmm, I dunno. This was either late 2002 or early '03, and I DO recall you standing with us at the louderARTS bout in Chicago later that year, and I'm pretty sure you weren't active at that time. Besides, I know you featured at the Nuyo after that and there MUST have been a young writer in the audience at the time who thought you were dope then, too. In fact, I KNOW that's the case because I made a point to go the Nuyo slam again after '03 even I thought the venue was kinda wack.

And there IS one piece of non-slam tribute I'll pay every so often...in workshop and in conversation, I'll tell younger writers to go seek you out because you're in a handful of performing artists whose written work is amplified by the voice...because the WRITING was good to begin with, and the voice adds depth to it. It's you, Sekou Sundiata, Patricia Smith, and Ntozake Shange. Not exactly a monument on the National Mall, but I do what I can, man!

[sancochao]

granted, Ntozake's FOR COLORED GIRLS uses not exactly HER voice, but many...point is, DAMN that's some poetry.

[radioactiveart]

Hmmmm...coulda sworn it was June of 2001. If it was as late as you say, then I stand corrected.

As for the rest...I'm humbled, man. A lot. and thanks.

Again, I'm not saying I won't.

[sancochao]

I got my start in early 03. Fish and Oscar got theirs around June of 2001. I was still working at Best Buy, as I recall. :-)

[scottwoods]

There are lots of reasons one might consider particpating in this call that my meager missive does not touch upon, especially when you consdier the scope of the call. I leave it to the poets themselves to define those. I merely offer my reasons for asking.

I love coming to events and seeing Taylor and Twain and Cristin and others mix it up. I love seeing Patricia and Michael and Danyn and Phil in the auidience, applauding.

[stefan11]

I hear you and totally respect what you say, Sir

[scottwoods]

Stefan, I think if the vets come back with the intent of wining the slam then some of the point is lost. Don't get me wrong: I hope a veteran does win whatever slam they're in. But there are certainly lots of reasons other than winning to particpate in this call. I leave it to the poets themselves to define those. I merely offer my reasons.

I love coming to events and seeing Taylor and Twain and Cristin and others mix it up. I love seeing Patricia and Michael and Danyn and Phil in the auidience, applauding.

[stefan11]

Me too!

My comment was directed to Tony, and all who kind of retired (cause they are different kinds of retirement).