I suggest getting to the Heidelberg early on December 6th, or risk standing. Our feature for the evening will be the outstanding Roger Bonair-Agard. His bio courtesy of his website:
Roger Bonair-Agard weaves living, breathing tapestries out of politics and the notion of home; a native of Trinidad and Tobago, Roger has lived in Brooklyn for seventeen years and his work reflects the struggles of a man in voluntary exile in a conflicted 21st-century America.
A professional performance poet since 1997, Roger has appeared three times on Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam on HBO, performed and facilitated writing and performance workshops at colleges, universities and high schools around the country, and stirred audiences at festivals and concerts from Germany to South Africa to Anchorage, Alaska. He recently opened for calypso legend Shadow for an audience of 2,000 in Prospect Park, Brooklyn.
Roger aims to blow the hinges off what is considered possible, to create work that discomforts with the truths and lies it exposes down to every forensic detail, and so create a movement of its very own, such that when the poems are read, they birth new mythologies in the reader’s memory.
Read All of Roger’s Bio
We are lucky to have the man in, but that is certainly not all. The show will also feature the Qualifying Slam to Compete for Ann Arbor at iWPS in 2006. This is an open Slam, you need not have won or competed in any other Ann Arbor Poetry Slam event to compete. This slam will require you to perform poems in 1,2,3, and 4 minute rounds, and vicious time penalties will apply. Come one and all, this night is going to be hot.
Mike Henry and the folks at Slamchannel.com made thelselves a real, live documentary about Teams Austin and NYC Urbana during the National Poetry Slam 2004. Tragedy stuck when their work space was destroyed by fire, but thankfully, it looks like they are pulling it out. The trailer has been released and it looks pretty damn cool.
Check it Out HERE!
I have to start this by saying thanks to Future from Flint for coming down to feature for us. Both he and Ray pulled out all the stops, and despite an unusually reserved crowd, really gave us a great show. Thanks to both of you.
The rumors have proven to be true, Roger Bonair-Agard will be featuring in Ann Arbor in December. 2 time NPS Champ, HBO Def Poet, and ridiculously handsome to boot, you should not miss this feature. There is another fine reason to attend the December Slam, it’s the qualifying competition to become Ann Arbor’s avatar at the Individual Worldwide Poetry Slam in Charlotte, North Carolina this February. we will take the first 20 signups, grind up their poetry and spit out the one best poet in the bunch, Details to follow, single poem poets need not apply.
What about the movies ? And yes, that is plural, because we have a couple. The first one, hosted right here on A2slam.com, is a true gem. If you have ever heard an Almighty Ray poem, you have heard ‘Big Fat Cat’. But I guarantee you have not heard it like Deanna Kulpa reads it, excuse me, Dr. Deanna (Ph. D and all suckas). You have to see this to believe it:
Big Fat Cat
And then there is Scott Woods. Many times featured here in Ace Deuce, the Big Chief of Poetry Slam, Inc. Steve captured some his his poetry a few months ago and gave the video to the world. Ignore the MC, that dude is wack.
Check it out here.