It was unbelieveable how awsome the competition in Charlotte was. I am still wrecked form Finals night, so I’ll post more details later. I can tell you that our poet Versiz was on the finals stage, and Ann Arbor favorite Logic the Tiny Dancer was crowned Haiku Champion of the World! Don’t forget to come out to the Slam on Tuesday, we’ll talk more then!

From Poetry Slam, Inc.:

For Immediate Release
February 6th, 2006

Queen City Wild for 2006 Individual World Poetry Slam
February 1st - 4th, 2006
Spirit Square, Charlotte, North Carolina

CHARLOTTE, NC — The 2006 Individual World Poetry Slam stormed Charlotte’s Spirit Square this past weekend with 72 performers from 7 countries and 25 US states, performing before thousands of local spectators. The four day festival culminated with the top 12 poets bringing their best game in fierce competition, electrifying the crowd as Mike McGee of San Jose captured the crown by fractions of a point. Like all slam events, the Champion was chosen by the five judges picked randomly from the audience! Please see (www.poetryslam.com) for more information.

Mike McGee is the 2006 Individual World Poetry Slam Champion, as well as the 2003 Indie National Poetry Slam Champion and the 2003 West Coast Slam Champion. Mike McGee (www.mikemcgee.net) has appeared on Def Poetry Jam’s 2005 Season. Mike calls his performance style “stand up poetry” and believes wholeheartedly that humor heals, or at least eases the wounds of life and all of its growing pains. Mike was born with the birth defect Spina Bifida and hopes to raise awarness of the defect through his work.

This year’s World Poetry Slam also celebrated a dramatically higher number of women participating with 5 slam sisters making it to the finals stage, including 2004 Indie National Poetry Slam Champion, Sonya Renee and 2004 National Poetry Slam finalist Andrea Gibson and Rachel McKibbens, Stephanie Williams and Krissi Reeves.

Several local poets also made it to the finals stage including Charlotte’s own “Q” and Da Minista and Basik Knowledge from South Carolina. The field was filled out with Versiz, Jared Paul and runner up Joaquin Zihuatenajo.

Next year the event will be held in Vancouver. The Individual World Poetry Slam 2006 was sponsored by Poetry Slam Inc., Slam Charlotte, Creative Loafing, and the NC Blumenthal Performing Arts Education Institute.

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For photos and interviews please contact Kimberly Simms at kimberly@witsendpoetry.com or 864.525.6957.