What is Slam Poetry?

1. Slam Poetry What is Slam Poetry?

2. What is Slam Poetry? “Because Slam is unfair. Because Slam is too much fun. Because poetry is an endangered species Slam Finds and revivifies. Because I can do that. Because everybody’s voice is heard. Because the point is not the points, Because audience, Because heckling, Because judges selected whimsically are instant Experts,

3. Because when in the course it looks like poetry is Disappearing, the furious uproar of word Will not be stilled. Because it’s called Slam.”

4. Poetry Slams Simply put, poetry slam is the competitive art of performance poetry. It puts a dual emphasis on writing and performance, encouraging poets to focus on what they're saying and how they're saying it.

6. Reading for Performance • Each group selects the poem to read as a group • Each group member reads the poem silently • Decide who will represent your group in performing your poem “in Just -.” “The Road Not Taken” “Comes out in glops”

7. Select your topic for your poem. Slam poetry is about a topic from the world around you. Write in stanzas that are short and rhythmic. Slang is used liberally in slam poetry. Slam poetry is informal! Read the slam with feeling. Writing for an audience

8. Slam Poet Reggie Eldridge Sacred Sounds at the Creative Loafing Space, Tampa and at ICE

9. Facilitator & Student Slam To participate: • Your poem must be original • Your poem needs to be in the oral tradition of “slam” • Winner of the slam receives a special TBAWP prize Audience Members: • One judge will be selected randomly from each group • Judges rate participants on a scale of 1-10 • At the end of each poet’s slam, audience members click, not clap.