This is your lucky day, traveler. You have wandered into the home of the Ann Arbor Poetry Slam, the longest continuously running poetry series in Ann Arbor, and the Second organized Slam in the known universe! This site is dedicated to spreading the word about our Slam, the people behind it, the poets who make it great, and most importantly, the poetry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cover?
$5 cover for everyone. $4 PSI Members. $3 with Student ID. No additional charges to slam or read.
What is the age limit?
We accept all ages. If you wish to compete for the Ann Arbor Poetry Slam at any National or Worldwide Poetry Slam events, you must be 18, or in some cases 21.
What do I need to do to enter the Slam?
To slam you need only sign up. First come, first served, signup opens when the doors do. Prizes are $10 and $5 for the top two winners respectively.
What is the show format ?
Open mike starts the show for about a half hour, then the feature, then the slam. If there is time at the end, we close the show with more open mike.
What are the rules for the Slam?
The Ann Arbor Poetry Slam is run by NPS rules. Anyone can sign up to slam.
- Each poem must be your own work
- Each poem can be no longer than 3 minutes in length
- No Props, no costumes, no music
How is the scoring done?
5 judges, chosen from the audience, score each poem on a scale of 0 to 10. The highest and lowest score for each poem is dropped, the remaining scores are added to give the poem a score between 0 and 30.
What is the format of the Slam?
A calibration poet reads first. Each of the six poets who signed up read one poem in the first rotation. Cut to the top 2 for the second round. Scores are not cumulative. Highest score in the second rotation wins.
How are the judges?
Judges are generally friendly, as is our crowd.
How is the crowd?
Ann Arbor only boos poets who are jerks or the MC, the crowd rarely boos bad poetry. (In fact, we love bad poetry).
The Ann Arbor Poetry Slam prides itself on being one of the friendliest slams in the nation, and we love to welcome newcomers to the Poetry Slam scene. We love first time slammers and first time performers most of all.