Dallas POETRY SLAM -
FAQs
1 What is poetry slam?
Simply put, 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.
2 What is a poetry slam?
A poetry slam is a competitive event in which
poets perform their work and are judged by members of the audience. Typically,
the host or another organizer selects the judges, who are instructed to give
numerical scores (on a 0 to 10 or 1 to 10 scale) based on the poets' content
and performance.
3 Who gets to participate?
Slams are open to everyone who wishes to sign
up and can get into the venue. Though everyone who signs up has the opportunity
to read in the first round, the lineup for subsequent rounds is determined by
the judges' scores. In other words, the judges vote for which poets they want
to see more work from.
4 What are the rules?
Each poem must be of the poet's own
construction. Each poet gets three minutes (plus a 10-second grace period) to read
one poem. If the poet goes over time, points will be deducted from the total
score. The poet may not use props, costumes, or musical instruments. Of the
scores the poet receives from the five judges, the high and low scores are dropped,
and the middle three are added together, giving the poet a total score of 0-30.
5 How does it differ from an open mike reading?
Slam is engineered for the audience, whereas a
number of open mike readings are engineered as a support network for poets.
Slam is designed for the audience to react vocally and openly to all aspects of
the show, including the poet's performance, the judges' scores, and the host's
banter.
6 What can the audience do?
The official MC spiel of Poetry Slam, Inc.,
encourages the audience to respond to the poets or the judges in any way they
see fit, and most slams have adopted that guideline. Audiences can boo or cheer
at the conclusion of a poem, or even during a poem.
7 What kind of
poetry is read at slams?
Depends on the venue, depends on the poets,
depends on the slam. One of the best things about poetry slam is the range of
poets it attracts. You'll find a diverse range of work within slam, including
heartfelt love poetry, searing social commentary, uproarious comic routines, and
bittersweet personal confessional pieces. Poets are free to do work in any
style on any subject.
8 How do I win a poetry slam?
Winning a poetry slam requires some measure of
skill and a huge dose of luck. The judges' tastes, the audience's reactions,
and the poets' performances all shape a slam event, and what wins one week
might not get a poet into the second round the next week. There's no formula
for winning a slam, although you become a stronger poet and performer the same
way you get to Carnegie Hall - practice, practice, practice.
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