Happy Poetry Month, Slam Poetry!
April 28, 2011
If the names Andrea Gibson, Buddy Wakefield, Sarah Kay, Alix Olsen, and Saul Williams mean nothing to you now, hopefully they will by the end of this blog. The common thread between all of these individuals is that they're spoken word artists--slam poets. For those of you who turn your nose up at poetry, give it another read or listen. Slam poets are a far cry from Emily Dickinson and John Keats, but that is not to say that what they're saying isn't beautiful and important. The spoken word revolution began in 1985 with a man named Marc Kelly Smith and has since become a tour de force in the United States and abroad.
Simply defined, slam poetry is the art of performance poetry. The emphasis is not only what you say, but how you say it. The nature of performance poetry is not to be polite, and the topics discussed are much more complex than one might assume. It is not uncommon to hear poets deconstruct gender norms, sexuality, class, patriarchy, other radical social ideas, and throw them in your face.
Finally, many of these artists will couple their poems with music, and this effect takes poetry to the next level (as if it wasn't already)--you know you're aching to hear the Little Miss Sunshine theme in a love poem. Artists such as Andrea Gibson have been awarded prestigious titles such as the winner of the 2008 Women's World Poetry Slam, so this is the real deal folks. Of course, many of these poets have books out (thanks to Write BLoddy Publishing), but reading them is not the same as seeing them perform. That's the whole reason it's called performance poetry! So make the effort to see them, or just look them up on YouTube.
Several of the above mentioned poets are tour-savvy, so if you are willing to drive to cities such as Lawrence, Wichita, Springfield, or beyond, you can often catch them on one of their stops. If you're lucky enough to see them in live and living color, it will change your life. Really! However, if they don't stop in the area, you can buy some of their work from Apple, courtesy of iTunes. It's a close second to seeing them live. Performance venues for local slam poets are few and far between in Kansas City, but believe me when I say there is a demand for one. So, next time you're looking to expose yourself to something new, give performance poetry or slam poetry a try. You won't regret it.
In the words of Anis Mojgani: "In a world where egos are measured with tabloids, where automobiles are like morals, where beliefs are like naps, you leave them behind when somebody touches you."
North Independence Branch