Ann Arbor Poetry Slam

This month we have got a firecracker of a show at the Ann Arbor Poetry Slam. A triple feature of awesome is going to poetry slap you directly in the brain, and catapult your headspace clear on into enlightenment, or you might just shillax and have a good time.

The show starts with a mini-Michigan smackdown, as the Ann Arbor Team faces off against Kalamazoo for regional cred and the right to compete at the Nationals in Madison this August.

Then comes the feature, The Unflappable Jared Paul. Don’t let Jared’s size fool you, he’s double packed with ass kicking poetry and awesomeness, and will probably make you a better person just for having been in the same room with him.

From his myspace:

Jared Paul is a social worker, journalist, and organizer from Providence, Rhode Island. Known for thoroughly researched work, poignant presentation, and dedication to craft, Jared is widely recognized as one of the top spoken word artists in the country. His performance accomplishments include two nation wide tours with world-renowned poet and Epitaph Recording artist Sage Francis, and advancing to the Individual World Poetry Slam Final’s in both 2006 and 2007.

Finally, this coming Tuesday is you LAST CHANCE to qualify for the semi-finals in April. You need to have come in first or second once, and slammed at least one other time to qualify.

Also don’t even think about missing this on March 13-15:

From wow.poetryslam.com

The Women of the World Poetry Slam (WOWps) is an all-woman PSI event created by women for women poetry slam competitors. Poets who live their lives as women will be eligible to participate in WOWps. 18 poets will be invited as legacy poets who have been a part of the National Poetry Slam in the past (before 2000 NPS) to bring those voices back to the audiences.

 Showtime is 8PM, doors open at 7:30PM.

The Ann Arbor Poetry Slam - The Heidelberg
Doors 7:30PM - $5 - $4 PSI Members - $3 with Student ID

Dear Ann Arbor Poetry Slam Friends,

I am writing to invite you to be a part of the Women of the World Poetry Slam. I have had the distinct pleasure of coordinating this first ever event and I hope you can enjoy it too!

I’m looking for both volunteers (you would get in to events for free and get the pleasure of helping out) AND for audience. We have nearly 60 poets coming from as far as Vancouver, CA and Albania and we want to make sure they have an audience to listen to their words.

So, if you can make time in your busy schedules, please check this out. Our website is www.wow.poetryslam.com. If you can help out, please email me back so that I can put you to work!

I’ve included a short press release below so that you have more details, in case you wanted to know

Deb

Women of the World to perform in Detroit March 12-15

Poets will share stage for international spoken-word competition

DETROIT - Women poets will converge on the Motor City for three days of competition March 12-15, 2008 at the “Women of the World Poetry Slam Championship.”

Various venues in the city’s Theatre District will host acclaimed spoken-word artists from major North American points of origin, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Canada and beyond.

For three days, Detroit will serve as the site of various workshops, open mic readings and collateral events in support of the title competition. The championship will be held at 8 p.m. March 15 at the Fillmore Detroit (the old State Theater) on Woodward. Prelims will begin at 7:30 PM on Thursday night at the Detroit Beer Company, Hockey Town and 1515 Broadway.

Poetry slam competitions, which eventually became the non-profit Poetry Slam, Inc., were invented in 1984 by writer Marc Smith, a full-time construction worker, who wanted to help breathe life back into a dwindling poets’ scene. Since the beginning of slams - typically judged by audience members, based on poetic content, delivery and showmanship - performance poetry has spread like wildfire across the country, crossing over into mainstream media through television shows like HBO’s “Def Poetry Jam.” In 1990, Smith started the National Poetry Slam, which brought together teams of poets from across the country in head-to-head poetic battle. Following numerous successful competitions across the country, in 2006, Poetry Slam, Inc. voted to start “Women of the World Poetry Slam Championship.”

Hope you can make it!

You can check out wow.poetryslam.com for more information.

There are not enough exclamation points available to science to illustrate how awesome this month’s poetry slam will be. We are holding the first ever Ann Arbor Women’s Poetry Slam to choose our qualifer for the Women of the World Poetry Slam happening in Detroit next Month! Open Sign-up first-come, first-served.

This slam will be open to women only, or those who live their lives as women.

Coming in March in Detroit- the Women of the World Poetry Slam

From wow.poetryslam.com

The Women of the World Poetry Slam (WOWps) is an all-woman PSI event created by women for women poetry slam competitors. Poets who live their lives as women will be eligible to participate in WOWps. 18 poets will be invited as legacy poets who have been a part of the National Poetry Slam in the past (before 2000 NPS) to bring those voices back to the audiences.

There will be an open mike session.

March Slam Feature: Providence Poet Jared Paul!

You should also check out the Online Video Slam happening over at poetryslam.com, watch some cool poetry videos, and vote for your favorites.

Terribly good that is. The field was tough for bad poets last night in Ann Arbor. Everyone brought their own flavor of awful to the stage and the audience rewarded them with boos and in some cases begged them to stop.

Some standouts included Mike Moriarty’s “If Saul William’s was a Used Car Salesman” which the crowd decided was too good for the Bad Slam. Victoria’s “Some Guy I met on MySpace” poem made it into final consideration with it’s stunning examination of the MySpace stalker/stalked relationship. The winner in a very close decision was local favorite Matt Ernst, whose disgusting love poem actually turned my stomach a little bit. Good job Matt!

Next month we will host a women only slam to choose our competitor for the Women of the World Poetry Slam, to be held in Detroit in March. We look forward to seeing you there.

In local poetry news, The annual Poetry Night in Ann Arbor will be January 18 at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theater in the Michigan League at 7PM. It will feature poets from the VOLUME Youth Poetry Project, Ann Arbor Wordworks, and special guests Aracelis Girmay, and Dennis Kim (a.k.a. Denizen Kane).  $7 Students (door), $5 (Advance). $12 General (door), $10 advance. Contact Jeff Kass at eyelev21@aol.com for more information or to reserve tickets.

PS - Coming to the Ann Arbor Poetry Slam in March - Jared Paul!

The Annual Bad Poetry Slam is coming up in January! This doggerel duel is often the most heated match-up all year, so you won’t want to miss it.

Important Notice! Because of the holidays, the Ann Arbor Poetry Slam will be held on January 8, the second Tuesday in January, mark your brand new calendars now!

Coming in February -  the Women’s Slam

We will be holding our first ever Women’s Slam, to choose our contestant for the upcoming Women of The World Poetry Slam, to be held in Detroit in March. Women from all over will descend on Detroit for four days of poetry.

From wow.poetryslam.com

The Women of the World Poetry Slam (WOWps) is an all-woman PSI event created by women for women poetry slam competitors. Poets who live their lives as women will be eligible to participate in WOWps. 18 poets will be invited as legacy poets who have been a part of the National Poetry Slam in the past (before 2000 NPS) to bring those voices back to the audiences.