Note: This is my attempt to create a formal, easily referable answer to a question I get a lot. If this doesn’t answer your question, proceed. But if you haven’t stopped here first, I would ask that you do so.

If you just want to know when Writers’ Block Poetry Night slams in Columbus are, go to the link below. I don't usually assume that when ( Read more... )

Last night I slammed at the Writers' Block show for the first time in about a year. Competitively, I mean, not like a haiku deathmatch or something equally devoid of the ballast of reward. It felt good, though what's not changed is the pressure writing. I wrote both pieces I performed last night, uh, last night ( Read more... )

I recently composed a very long treatise on Slam and where I thought it should go. I posted it online for public consumption and comment in December of 2011 (“Poetry Slam: The Next Level”). The last part of that document contained a section entitled “Death by Slam: The Competition and how it will kill NPS & Slam”. As notorious as it sounds, this ( Read more... )

I’ve had a really great front row seat to Slam in the last eleven years.
This is what I think should happen over the next eleven.

http://writersblockpoetry.rewritingovid.net/slamnext.pdf

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 ( Read more... )

A discussion about seeding teams at Nationals has come up (again) and just in time for the National Poetry Slam (though not in enough time to actually do anything with the idea). It’s something that will come up at the SlamMasters meeting at Nationals and that’s about it. I’m sorry to those of you who believe in seeding, but the SM meeting is the ( Read more... )

Hi.

I want to begin this series of observations by stating that this is a personal statement, albeit a well-informed personal statement. I may refer to PSi policy but nothing I say here should be construed AS PSi policy.

Sometimes poets and organizers mess up. They do things that are stupid or mean or downright illegal, sometimes unknowingly, ( Read more... )

Very tired, but: I made the team! The squad is me, Vernell Bristow, Izetta Nicole and J.G. the Jugganaut.
Cats always bring it in the Grand Slams, but this one was really tough.

I did:

- What Nigger Sounds Like
- The Poem I Shall Recite At My First British Open Mic Next Year
- 6 In the Morning

Wrote What Nigger Sounds Like today. It went over really well ( Read more... )

I opened my feature/Q&A at Frederick Community College with this prepared statement, which I wrote at 6 AM this morning.The audience was mainly college students and faculty with no Slam experience. Between this statement, 40 minutes of my poetry, and a nice Q&A we had an awesome time.

Enjoy.

==============

Let me begin with this:

The short ( Read more... )

Last night's slam was a little tough, but fun ( Read more... )