by neonsighs

Performance artists of all types revel in the wonder and acclaim they receive from the public. In return, concerts and performances become more vibrant with audience engagement. In recent years, an increasing number of musicians, even those in traditional music, have encouraged audiences to sing along or clap to the beat. This trend has spread to other fields, such as stand-up comedy and open-mic poetry readings.

With this context in mind, it seems that slam poetry thrives because people are attracted to the communal energy reminiscent of ancient times when everyone participated in tribal dances, storytelling, and sing-alongs. I hadn’t heard of “Slams” related to poetry until I joined a writing website and started participating in slam poetry contests hosted by two website members: one, a creative writing professor from Chicago, and the other, an English teacher and poet from Australia.

I later discovered that slam poetry often faced criticism from academia, with the belief that slams devalue the true art of poetry. In response, slam poets Reflections on some well loved Poets - Ziggy Olivier wrote this article. He met Dylan Thomas and spent some of his youth drinking whisky with him. He said me: "Everything you may have read about him was true." Reflections on some well loved Poets Approaching my own demise, I was delighted this Christmas to receive from a teenage granddaughter a gift that… became more vocal and organized in their efforts to be recognized as legitimate members of the serious performance art community.

The first slam poetry event took place in 1984 at the Get Me High Lounge, a Chicago jazz club, organized by a construction worker named Marc Smith. Two years later, Marc Smith proposed a program to another jazz club, the Green Mill. When the owner agreed to host a poetry competition for performance poets every Saturday night, slam poetry competitions were introduced to the public.

Despite continued opposition, poetry slams have played a significant role in promoting poetry to the general public. In recent years, more poetry books have been sold, and an incredible number of searches for poetry have been conducted on online search engines.

Poetry slams are here to stay as they have propelled poetry into the dynamic world of performance, transforming it into an intense experience for both poets and audiences. The art of poetry itself, once facing detachment or even extinction, has embraced slams, as if returning to its roots of spoken words meant to be heard.

Serious slam poetry, as a form of performance poetry, relies not only on the quality of the words, lines, and poetic devices but also on oral skills such as eye contact with the audience, expressive reading, voice control, and controlled body language. This is because poetry slams are primarily focused on entertaining audiences. A slam is distinct from an open-mic performance, which aims to encourage poets while the audience takes a secondary role.

Some time ago, I attended an informal poetry slam. While it felt more like a vaudeville show, the audience engagement and the poets’ enjoyment were authentic. In an informal slam poetry contest, judges are selected from the audience, and all forms of audience participation are encouraged, even booing the poets during their readings. If the audience is dissatisfied, the poet leaves the stage; however, during the slam I attended, no one left the stage due to public booing. Perhaps I was in a more reserved audience.

Initially, slam poetry focused on specific topics related to public concerns like politics, baseball, social issues, and so on. Over time, themes and subjects have expanded significantly.

Nowadays, poetry slams enjoy international recognition thanks to the efforts of organizations like Poetry Slam Inc. and The National Poetry Slam, an annual championship tournament. In the first round of the serious slam competition, all entrants read their poetry, with a time limit of three minutes per poem. Poets who qualify can advance to subsequent rounds. Judges assign scores on a scale from zero to ten.

In the beginning, this competition was for individual poets. Nowadays, poets compete in teams of four or five, representing their home states and countries from North America and Europe. The winning teams travel to a city hosting the final competition. With many regional public radio stations broadcasting the event live to their listeners, the annual National Poetry Slam has become a popular occasion.

In addition to the National Poetry Slam, communities can organize specialized slams, such as: Dead Poet Slams, where participants read from the works of deceased poets; Cover Slams, where poets recite other poets’ pieces; Improv Slams, where poets spontaneously express their thoughts without prior preparation; Group-Poem Slams, crafted by a team of poets instead of just one; Haiku or Limerick Slams; and the amusing Bad Poem Slams or Low-Ball Slams, where the lowest score wins.

Poetry slams are not just a fleeting fad. Any form of entertainment rooted in creativity and artistic expression can undoubtedly withstand excessive showmanship or elitist criticism. Poetry Slams and their organization, Poetry Slam Inc., are here to stay with conviction.

Manuel Marino

Manuel Marino is a seasoned Senior Producer, Music Composer, and Artist with over a decade of experience. He specializes in branded entertainment across various mediums, including video games, films, and advertising campaigns. With 20+ years as a game music composer, Manuel has worked on numerous platforms, creating diverse orchestral soundtracks. HIRE ME