"The HEAD, by way of the EAR, to the SYLLABLE
The HEART, by way of the BREATH, to the LINE”
- Charles Olson


Welcome to my poetry research blog! Here's a little background...

Poetry is, at its heart, a very acoustic phenomenon. Distinguished from prose through its emphasis on the use of sound, namely its distinctive rhythms, meters, and rhyme scheme, the earliest known poetry followed the oral tradition. Among the most famous examples of early poetry are Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey,” which were transmitted by word of mouth for centuries.

Following the spread of literacy, poetry increasingly became a written form. Though the play of sounds and rhythms were still very important, and though poets gained the ability to use the visual presentation of their poems to shape the meaning of their work, poetry lost much of its performance aspect. However, during the twentieth century, there was a poetic movement that began re-emphasizing the importance of sound and performance in poetry.

This blog will track my research into the developments in performance poetry in the modern United States. My principal focus will be on poetry slams, but I will be investigating all forms of performance poetry. I’m taking a multi-media approach to this research: not only will I be using articles and books, I will also be watching videos, youtube clips, and, most importantly, attending actual Slams. I’m especially excited for the National Poetry Slam in August.

Specifically, here you will find a record of the performance events that I have and intend to attend.

“Sometimes a good slam strategy is to give the audience something they didn’t know they needed until they’ve heard it. Sometimes it’s aesthetic deduction, sometimes it’s angelic inspiration, but it’s always being true to yourself, your teammates, your muse, and your art."
-- Daniel S. Solis

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

June 24, 2008 - Spirit of the Flame Spoken Word ... or not

Well, it was a sad night in terms of poetry. I drove to Baltimore to catch up with my friend S. and go to the Spirit of the Flame Spoken Word, an open mic night held at Milton’s Grill in Baltimore, MD. However, upon reaching Miltons, we find only two tables occupied at a nearly silent, though very nice, establishment. We ask the host and hostess, and they tell us that the open mic had been canceled.

As disappointed as we were (or, at least, as I was), I still think that there was a lesson in this. Having just read Bob Holman’s essay “The Room” from the book Poetry Slam: An Introduction (see link below), the details of trying to orchestrate an event were fresh in my mind. In this essay, Holman reveals a wealth of information about the nature of Slam performances by instructing the reader on how to chose the venue, the format of this particular slam, the rules (do you follow Nationals or modify), and how to notify the public. He reminds the reader that it is hard to host an event, but “this is what it means to be a poet at the beginning of the 21st Century: you work, you set up chairs, you’re an administrator, you talk with the owner about how the crowd is growing every week or will start soon” (15).

With this in mind, it was a lot easier to appreciate the effort that the hosts put into arranging the Spirit of the Flame every week. I have every intention of coming back, but I’m going to call ahead this time.

Also, Bob Holman wrote the poem “Disclaimer”. I particularly enjoyed the following excerpt, and I hope you do to:

“The Purpose of SLAM

being to fill your hungry ears

with Nutritious Sound/Meaning Constructs,

Space Shots into Consciousness

known hereafter as Poems, …” (lines 6-10)

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3 comments:

Unknown said...

Probably was empty because it was a Monday night. But I was glad to hear that the night turned out well in any case. =)

June 26, 2008 at 8:50 PM
Unknown said...

Er, tuesday.

June 26, 2008 at 8:50 PM
Briana said...

Hahaha. Yeah. Plus, I guess everyone else got the word that the open-mic wasn't happening.

June 27, 2008 at 1:45 AM

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