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!

[anonymous]

Thank you Scott for issuing such a lovely challenge. This is Gayle Danley and I'm down for the challenge. Wouldn't it be dope if a bunch of us old schoolers met in one place, at one time, and slammed? Maybe at next year's nationals? Or your house, in your living room?

[scottwoods]

Gayle, it would be downright LOVELY!

[bonairpoet]

Gayle, I'm in. I just want to hear your poems is all, which is the whole point, right?

[scottwoods]

Yep! And Roger? You really light the way every year already.

[nerak_g]

I am in LOVE with this.

[campana]

will i be issued a special PSI walker and hernia belt? will i be accused of the youngsters of playing the AARP card?

[scottwoods]

Yes, yes and probably.

[louiserobertson]

"the point isn’t just made at Nationals or iWPS or WOWps" -- love it.

[scottwoods]

RIGHT.