"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

Thursday, August 21, 2008

August 14, 2008 - Jibber Jabber Open Mic

Tonight, I went to Jibber Jabber for my last session before heading back to Lexington. Crowd turnout was pretty strong, and we had four poets present pieces prior to the feature performance by Black Root. I read a piece about my grandmother that was built off of work I’d written some time ago. This was the first especially long poem I’ve read before an audience, and it made me realize that I still have some degree of stage-fright to get over. It's a very different experience to present a piece of your own creation as opposed to teaching or lecturing.



I enjoyed the nice closure that this was bringing to my summer research experience; my first slam at the Den featured Black Root, and now I was concluding the summer with a feature by the same performer and with a number of the same pieces.

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