(no subject)
WoWPS was amazing.
I had a couple of down moments - my first bout and the first round of finals felt mind-numbingly awful - but the redemptive moments swallowed the awful ones whole. In those bad moments I felt like a traitor to the best intentions of WoWPS, and especially to the women involved. I thought more shit than I talked, but I did talk a bit. That's part of who I am. I judge, and I critique, and I don't hold back a whole lot. I think that's rotten when there's nothing positive to take as counterpoint; luckily, overall, there were many more reasons to celebrate than there were reasons to denigrate. I'm going to list a few of those now.
Highlights
1. Shira Erlichman plays language like a banjo with a bow.
2. John "Survivor" Blake can retell the story of someone else's poem so well, it brings tears to my eyes.
3. The Midwest - from Ohio to Illinois to Detroit - has the absolute sweetest, most humble poets of merit I've met.
4. New best friends, new inspirations, more solid love where love already lived.
5. I didn't do anything I regret! Woohoo!
6. TONS of poets came up to give me props, tell me the judges robbed me, flirt with me, and offer me gigs!
7. My second bout. The lead-up included quite a few legendary poets. Three of the twelve on Finals Stage were in that bout: Rachel McKibbens, Taaj Freeman, and Gypsee Yo. They were all in fine form that night. We all were. However, I took special pleasure in the incredible finale with me, nerak_g and Copperhead Red throwing our absolute AWESOME to the winds. CHR freestyled a poem, shouting out to me and a number of other competitors in the bout. I followed up with a version of "Drunksteady" where I shouted her out - and absolutely left it all onstage. nerak_g closed with a hilarious, irreverent poem that reminded us all of the whimsy and absurdity of what we do.
I'm happy.
I'm in Columbus now. Tomorrow I feature at Writing Wrongs, and Wednesday I hit Writers' Block. I plan to visit a friend in Champaign for a few days; come April I fly home to write, work (day job), recuperate, and get a press kit in the mail to various venues across North America. I have a few features scheduled from April to July, but I want to be on the road again full-time by the end of summer.
Love you, folks.
I had a couple of down moments - my first bout and the first round of finals felt mind-numbingly awful - but the redemptive moments swallowed the awful ones whole. In those bad moments I felt like a traitor to the best intentions of WoWPS, and especially to the women involved. I thought more shit than I talked, but I did talk a bit. That's part of who I am. I judge, and I critique, and I don't hold back a whole lot. I think that's rotten when there's nothing positive to take as counterpoint; luckily, overall, there were many more reasons to celebrate than there were reasons to denigrate. I'm going to list a few of those now.
Highlights
1. Shira Erlichman plays language like a banjo with a bow.
2. John "Survivor" Blake can retell the story of someone else's poem so well, it brings tears to my eyes.
3. The Midwest - from Ohio to Illinois to Detroit - has the absolute sweetest, most humble poets of merit I've met.
4. New best friends, new inspirations, more solid love where love already lived.
5. I didn't do anything I regret! Woohoo!
6. TONS of poets came up to give me props, tell me the judges robbed me, flirt with me, and offer me gigs!
7. My second bout. The lead-up included quite a few legendary poets. Three of the twelve on Finals Stage were in that bout: Rachel McKibbens, Taaj Freeman, and Gypsee Yo. They were all in fine form that night. We all were. However, I took special pleasure in the incredible finale with me, nerak_g and Copperhead Red throwing our absolute AWESOME to the winds. CHR freestyled a poem, shouting out to me and a number of other competitors in the bout. I followed up with a version of "Drunksteady" where I shouted her out - and absolutely left it all onstage. nerak_g closed with a hilarious, irreverent poem that reminded us all of the whimsy and absurdity of what we do.
I'm happy.
I'm in Columbus now. Tomorrow I feature at Writing Wrongs, and Wednesday I hit Writers' Block. I plan to visit a friend in Champaign for a few days; come April I fly home to write, work (day job), recuperate, and get a press kit in the mail to various venues across North America. I have a few features scheduled from April to July, but I want to be on the road again full-time by the end of summer.
Love you, folks.