Poetry Slam at
Dog-Eared Books
When: Thursday, February 23, at 7 PM
Poets, rejoice! Come share your written creations and revel in the shared power of poetry. Contrary to an open mic, a poetry slam is an event in which poets perform in three rounds, at the end of which first, second, and third place winners are awarded for that night.
Do not fret. To slam newcomers, we understand that this sounds intense. As said by poet Allan Wolf, a common poetry slam mantra is “The points are not the point. The point is poetry.” Though it is a “competition,” poetry slams are a safe, supportive space for artists and participants to share in the experience of poetry.
We are so excited to hear what you’ve got!
Format and Rules:
1. Each solo poem must be of the poet’s own creation.
2. Memorization is not required or necessary. The poet may choose to bring a sheet of paper or chapbook to the stage to read off of.
3. Participating poets will perform three poems, one for each round.
4. Each poet has three minutes (plus a ten-second grace period) to read one poem. If the poet goes over time, the total score will lower by half a point for each 10 seconds they go over.
5. The poet may not use props, costumes, pre-recorded music, or instruments while performing. It’s just you and your poem on stage. However, you are allowed to make live sounds with your body as part of your performance (singing, beatboxing, etc.).
6. The poet receives scores out of 10 from five randomly-selected judges from the audience. The high and low scores are dropped and the middle three are added together, giving the poet a total score out of 30.
7. All must be ready to hear some incredible works and have a great time.