All About Slam Poetry

By Amy Wagner on February 1, 2013

Poetry slam. Image via Flickr user devdsp.

Poetry is an indisputable part of college culture. From entire classes based upon writing and interpretation of poetry to school literary magazines publishing work of student poets, poetry is always present on college campuses.

One particular poetry-related event found at most schools is a poetry slam. A poetry slam, and the slam poetry that accompanies it, may sound familiar, but what is it? According to Poetry Slam, Inc.’s website, the idea behind a poetry slam is “the competitive art of performance poetry. It puts a dual emphasis on writing and performance, encouraging poets to focus on what they’re saying and how they’re saying it.” The poetry slam itself is a competitive event during which poet’s performances are judged by certain audience members who are chosen by the host. These individuals give the performers their scores, ranging from 1 to 10, usually based equally on performance style as well as content.

How did poetry slams begin? In 1984, construction worker by day and poet by night Marc Smith started a poetry reading at a Chicago lounge with the intent to deviate from the run-of-the-mill open mic style that poetry readings typically utilized. The emphasis he placed on the performance of the poetry was the beginning of what would eventually become the poetry slam we know today. Smith approached Dave Jemilo, proprietor of the Green Mill (a Chicago jazz club) in 1986 with the idea of hosting a weekly night for competitive poetry. The Uptown Poetry Slam, as it came to be called, still takes place every Sunday night at the Green Mill.

While poetry slams might sound obscure to some, this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Slam poets are no longer relegated to small clubs or cafes; they can compete at the National Poetry Slam, a tournament which takes place every year. Teams of three to five people come from all parts of the world in hopes of earning the national title. This competition has been described as “part Super Bowl, part poetry summer camp, and part traveling exhibition.” Slam poetry gained even greater notoriety with the creation of the TV series Def Poetry, which aired on HBO from 2002 to 2007. Produced by hip-hop magnate Russell Simmons, it aimed to highlight established slam poets as well as rising stars in the movement. This TV series did not fit the technical definition of a poetry slam, but it served its purpose in exposing many people to performance poetry and giving it a household name.

Are you interested in attending an upcoming slam poetry event? Look no further than Slam Poetry Night on February 7th at 6:30 in Craig Hall, right here at DU, presented by Black Student Alliance and Latino Student Alliance. It is the first Black History Month event of the year here at DU and it will feature the phenomenal work of a number of talent slam poets from our school and community. To RSVP on Facebook, just click here!

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