This morning, I had the pleasure of attending a poetry slam at Southmont High School, and being treated to some fine poetry in the spoken word tradition. Poet performers included Amanda Smalley, Graham Faubion, Katie Fisher, Jonathon Christenson, Alexandria Kelly, Dusty Lawton, Nathan Hendrick, Kaycie Welcher, Kyle Williams, Jessica Biggs, Allie Norris, Aaron Wheeler, Madison Fouty, Justyn Cook, Katie Fisher, Amanda Smalley, and Nathan Hedrick, who wrapped up the show with a hilarious performance of “Homage to My Hips,” by Lucille Clifton. English teacher Michelle Hanlin is obviously on the cutting edge, teaching the importance not only of the written word, but also of spoken word poetry. It’s a great way to get students excited about writing.

Prior to the slam, I spoke briefly about the slam movement, my work with Slam Poetry Founder Marc Kelly Smith, the basic elements of a slam, and the tenets of the slam movement, including the role of competition: “The points are not the point. The point is poetry.”

Later, I discussed writing and publishing with Jean Ann Craycraft’s library class, which I do every so often. Today’s presentation was less formal than usual. I talked a little about putting together a book proposal and then fielded questions.

We tend to hear too much about today’s errant youth, but I’m always impressed by the intelligence and maturity of the students at Southmont.

Today’s edition of The New York Times carries an article by Larry Rohter entitled “Is Slam in Danger of Going Soft?” in which Rohter points out that the growing popularity of slam poetry is beginning to threaten its very existence as a subversive literary movement. Marc Kelly Smith, founder of the slam poetry movement, and the guy with whom I had the honor of co-authoring Take the Mic and Stage a Poetry Slam, is quoted throughout the piece. Here’s one short clip:

“At the beginning, this was really a grass-roots thing about people who were writing poetry for years and years and years and had no audience,” Mr. Smith said recently, just before his weekly Sunday night slam at the Green Mill. “Now there’s an audience, and people just want to write what the last guy wrote so they can get their face on TV. Well, O.K., but that’s not what people in this country, from Marc’s point of view, need. We’ve got too much of that. This show wasn’t started to crank out that kind of thing.”

All I have to say is if slam is in danger of going soft (in a watered-down, commercial way), Marc certainly isn’t. Just try to equate Poetry Slam with Poetry Jam and see what happens – it ain’t pretty. Check out Marc’s post “Slam Goes Daily,” with a clip fromThe Daily Show in which Jon Stewart questions whether anyone cares about the difference between a Poetry Jam and a Poetry Slam. The video clip itself is worth a visit.

My friend, colleague, and co-author Marc Kelly Smith has invited me to join him at the 25th annual Printers Row Lit Fest in Chicago where the master of Slam Poetry, Slampapi himself, will be promoting our two latest books, Take the Mic and Stage a Poetry Slam, and performing on stage. 

Please join us on Saturday June 6 and Sunday June 7 from 10 am to 6 pm. The Lit Fest is a free, two-day literary extravaganza featuring more than 200 authors, 100 literary programs, and 160 booksellers. For more information, head to the Chicago Tribune’s Printers Row Lit Fest page.

I’ll be hanging out pretty much all day on Saturday. Marc’s planning to arrive at around 2:30 pm when he returns from the Southern Fried Poetry Slam in Durham, North Carolina. To catch Marc, you may want to show up sometime before 3 pm. Here’s when he’s scheduled to do his thing:

• Saturday, 6/6/2009, 3:15 p.m. on the Arts & Poetry Stage: Marc Kelly Smith promoting our new books, Take the Mic and Stage a Slam.
• Saturday, 6/6/2009, 5 p.m. on the Arts & Poetry Stage: The Chicago Poetry Foundation presents the Chicago Poetry Audio Tour Premiere with Marc reading a couple of Sandburg poems in this marathon of Chicago poems.

Coming this April 1st (no foolin’), we really have something to celebrate – the release of two new Slam books – Take the Mic and Stage a Poetry Slam, both published by Naperville’s own Sourcebooks and penned by Chicago natives Marc Kelly Smith (So What!) and Joe Kraynak (Who Cares?). We began planning the books back in February of 2008 and have reworked and revised them to near perfection… as near as we can tell.

Take the Mic

Take the Mic is an essential guide for lifting your poetry from the page to the stage. In this book, Slampapi Marc Kelly Smith serves as your personal trainer and coach, showing you how to craft stage-worthy verse and deliver a poetry performance that shakes the rafters and sparks thunderous applause. In Take the Mic, you discover how to…

• Pen poetry that’s conducive to on-stage performance
• Overcome stage fright
• Practice powerful performance techniques
• Rehearse like a pro
• Shape a loose collection of poems into a killer set
• Connect with your audience – heart and soul
• Master the art of self-promotion
• Schedule your own slam poetry tour
• Transform your hobby into paying gigs
• Act professional to establish a solid reputation in the Slam community

Take the Mic is packed with practical exercises you can do alone or in class to hone your skills and transform your body, mind, voice, verse, and spirit into an engaging stage presence.

You’ll also find a brief history of slam, the rules and regulations that govern official slam competitions, and a list of PSI (Poetry Slam, Inc.) Certified Slams, so no matter where you are, you always have a place to Take the Mic!

Stage a Poetry Slam

Stage a Poetry Slam is a comprehensive guide for both budding and seasoned Slammasters – people in charge of organizing and promoting poetry slams and spoken word events. In this book, Marc Kelly Smith takes you back stage to reveal the techniques and strategies he’s picked up over his 20 years plus of developing world-class Slam shows. Stage a Poetry Slam leads you through the process of shaping your own Slam from vision to opening night, as you discover how to…

• Fashion a crystal clear vision that drives the development of your first show
• Plan a detailed itinerary for a Slam extravaganza
• Scope out a venue that fits your vision
• Choose the right stage type for maximum impact
• Deal with the technical stuff – lights, mics, props, & drops
• Recruit and organize emcees, volunteers, and other support
• Discover talented performance poets and spoken word artists
• Publicize and promote your show to attract an eager audience
• Stage special shows for corporate and community events
• Take ownership of your show, so it doesn’t get hijacked
• Negotiate fair compensation with club owners and other patrons of the arts

Stage a Poetry Slam is packed with practical, world-tested advice on how to craft a compelling spoken word poetry event and promote in such a way to pack the seats and leave a line out to the streets.

You’ll also find a brief history of slam, the rules and regulations that govern official slam competitions, and a list of PSI (Poetry Slam, Inc.) Certified Slams, so you always have a place to visit to pick up ideas and talk shop with other Slammasters!

Where to Order

Starting April 1, 2009, both books will be available for purchase at bookstores online and off, including the following:

Amazon

OrderTake the Mic

Order Stage a Poetry Slam

Barnes & Noble

Order Take the Mic

Order Stage a Poetry Slam

Borders

Order Take the Mic

Order Stage a Poetry Slam

Sourcebooks

Order Take the Mic

Order Stage a Poetry Slam

On April 8, 2008, “Good Reads Columnist” Barbara Perlman-Whyman of the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza delivered a rave review of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Slam Poetry:

For a discussion of Slam poetry, let me highly recommend ‘The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Slam Poetry’ by Marc Kelly Smith and Joe Kraynak, both to budding Slam poets as well as any one interested in attending and/or knowing more about a Poetry Slam. Marc Smith actually invented Slam poetry in 1984 and has now taken the time to explain the concept and give really helpful pointers. As he stresses ‘Slam poetry attempts to invigorate poetry by giving equal weight and integrity to the poetry and the performance.’ No matter who wins the top prize, the poet/performers, the organizers and the audience all walk away winners. As you will discover, Slam Poetry equally involves the audience as well as the poet.

Unfortunately for the book (and for Marc and myself), this is a case of too little too late. The publisher has just informed us that the book is going out of print… so check that remainder rack at your local bookstore, because you could find a real bargain.
Perhaps Marc and I will acquire the rights to the book and come out with a new, improved incarnation. Stay tuned… we might just do that. We’d like to thank Barbara for her encouraging words!

My friend and co-author for The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Slam Poetry, Mark Kelly Smith, is currently heading back to one of his favorite destinations—France—where Slam Poetry is fast becoming about as popular as French Fries in America.

While in France, Marc plans to continue his collaborative work on a documentary about Slam Poetry while participating in the Festival Mythos in Rennes, France. 

Here’s the itinerary straight from the Slampapi himself (with a few details intentionally omitted to keep his swarming fans at bay):

• April 8th (Tuesday) arrive in France and proceed to Pilote’s cabaret Culture Rapide. (If you’ve never seen Pilote perform, he’s worth a trip to France.) Meet with Pilote in the afternoon and stay the evening to slam.
• April 9th (Wednesday) … Where’s Marc? … personal journies…
• April 10th (Thursday) back to Rennes for the Festival Mythos. Marc delivers his show Thursday evening.
• April 11th (Friday) hang out in Rennes, walk around town, check out some other shows, and attend Youn’s Slam & Jam.
• April 12th (Saturday) head to Locquémeau, on the seaside of Brittany, to meet Tô and Patrick Beurard Valdoye, the two other characters of the documentary. In the evening, Marc serves as slam master of a slam in a bar at Locquémeau, where Youn had led slam workshops the previous Saturdays.
• April 13th (Sunday) back to Paris for flight home.

If you’re ever in the Chicago area on a Sunday night looking for something to jazz up your life, head out to the Green Mill Cocktail Lounge and check out Marc’s Uptown Poetry Slam. Better yet, step onstage and slam!