Mike Guinn is the Founder Of Fort Worth Poetry Slams and The DFW National Yourth Poetry Slam Team
The 2011 Poetry Slam will feature local poets and spokenword artists from all over including members of the DFW Brave New Voices Youth Poetry Slam www.bravenewvoices.org
HOW TO SIGN UP
Please send a sample of your work for review by deadline September 10th 2011.
EVENT TIMES
Time: September 17th 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Location: One Book One Waco Tent
CONTACT INFO:
Mike Guinn Poetry Coordinator
(817) 412-3964
jordanmichaelg@yahoo.com
www.facebook.com/mikeguinn
Also featuring:
Poetry Slam is competitive spoken word performance poetry created in the late 80s by a Chicago construction worker by the name of Marc Smith. It puts a dual emphasis on both writing and performance. Though rules vary from slam to slam, the basic rules are:
Competing poets have 3 minutes (plus a 10 second grace period) to perform one poem of their own construction.
They may not use props, costumes or musical accompaniment.
Each poem/performance is then given a score (on a scale of 0.0 to 10.0) by five “judges” who are audience members randomly selected by the emcee at the beginning of the Slam.
The high and low scores are dropped, giving the poet a score ranging between 0 and 30.
Most Slams have two or three elimination rounds so bring at least 2 of your best poems.
The highest scoring poets at the end of the Slam win prizes and the title of 2010 Waco Cultural Arts Festivals Poetry Slam Champion!
Slam is not a serious academic critique on literary skill. It is a game, a show, and a means for poets to share their work with an engaged audience.
Slam is not an insult filled hip hop battle. Slam is not rap. Though some poets use elements of hip hop in their writing, Slam is a literary art form, not music.
Slam is not poets making things up as they go along. Weeks, and sometimes months, are spent writing, memorizing and even choreographing a performance.
Slam is not a bunch of angry performers yelling about social issues. Slams bring an incredibly diverse array of demographics, voices, styles, topics and points of view.