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Creating a Poetry SLAM in Your Secondary
Library Media Center

• Amy Farris Hamrick
• Westerville Central High School
• OELMA Annual Conference, 2004

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The WAVE!
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History Lesson

• Greeks awarded laurel crowns in poetry
  competitions in the ancient Olympics.
• Basho made a living traveling the Japanese
  countryside judging haiku contests.
• From Don Quixote (1615) a reference to poetical
  tournaments.
• 1960s New York Ann Waldman and Ted Berrigan
  donned boxing shorts and sparred poetic. World
  Poetry Championship Bouts.
• Chicago Marc Green

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Modern SLAMMING

• 1980s Chicago, Mark Smith at the Green Mill
• Give Piss a Chance after the death of John
  Lennon resulted in boos and thrown chairs.
  Rematch with a crowd of 200.
• 1985 Get Me High Lounge, Chicago Poetry Ensemble.
• http//www.e-poets.net/library/slam/converge.html

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The Nitty Gritty Hype

• Involve as many classes as you can.
• Art contests to promote SLAM
• Students to film, take images, set up equipment.
• Visit English classrooms and show clips
• www.livepoets.com
• www.poetryslam.com (Poetry Slam, Inc.)
• Make Fliers (ALA Poetry Resource CD)

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The Nitty Gritty More Hype!

• Morning Announcements (Countdown)
• Stop students in the hall.
• Be positive Have you written your SLAM poem
  yet? (Look for an emcee)
• Local Newspapers (Check district policy.)
• Key Teachers
• Consider easing tension by allowing students to
  perform work that is not original.

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Entry Forms

• Require an entry form
• School Rules clause
• Deadline
• Have forms with you at all times!
• Require a copy of the poem, and be flexible
• Provide Poet Performance Tips with each entry

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I Want to Tell You About My Brother.
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I Have Something to Say
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Preparations Room Requirements

• Microphone open
• But consider a podium, too
• ELMO / LCD projector presenter to project scores
• Feed in a digital video live shot. Students
  operate cameras for still and video coverage.
  Film students coming in.

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Preparations Room Requirements

• Judges Table
• Table cards (Judge 1, Judge 2, Judge 3, etc.)
• Score cards (Large, laminated, number on back)
• Timer and Scorekeeper Table
• Score Cards, erasable pens
• Stopwatch and a buzzer (3 minute rule, .5
  deduction)
• Rearrange the room for auditorium style seating.

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As Students Arrive

• Drop name in hat if you want to be a judge
• Or, take volunteers
• Or, give everyone a ticket half and call a number
• Student helpers should be helping timer and
  scorekeeper
• LOUD music. (Jock Rock sets competitive tone.)
• Take time to make contact with each poet.

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The Rules of Engagement

• Thank competitors for their courage. Tips.
• A SLAM wouldnt be a competition without judges
  and an active audience.
• Audience Role
• Enjoy competition
• Encourage poets to do their best
• Influence judges after performance
• Respond. Consider the intention of the poet. Is
  she making you reflect, laugh, get angry?

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The Feminist Hissssssss
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Judges Instructions

• Give equal weight to poems content and poets
  performance.
• Resist being influenced by audience reaction.
• Score range from 0.0 to 10. (Encourage decimal
  use!)
• High and low scores thrown out.
• Remaining scores either averaged or added.

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Judges Instructions (ALA A Slam Poetry Manual)

• Trust your gut. Better the poem, better the
  score.
• Suspend prejudices.
• Score Creep and consistency.
• Although high and low scores are thrown out,
  dont ever make a joke of your score.
• Treat the poets with respect. They are the show,
  not you.
• Thank you for having the courage to put your
  opinions on the line.

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Rounds or No Rounds?

• Rounds
• Lowest scoring 1/3rd eliminated
• End of second round, bottom half eliminated
• Poet with highest combined scores from all three
  rounds wins
• No Rounds (a.k.a. The All In)
• Good introduction to slamming
• Crams into a lunch period
• Nobody runs out of poems!

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Ready to SLAM!

• Sacrificial Poet
• Loud music between poets
• Emcee
• Draw a name or have a predetermined order
• Hype the audience
• Razz the judges
• KEEP IT MOVING!

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Performance Tips

• Scott Woods Packet
• Speak when you have the audiences attention
• Incorporate body movements
• Vary the volume and velocity
• Observe and analyze performances by the best
  slammers
• Memorize, memorize, memorize!
• Participate in slams to become your best.

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I Cant .or Can I?
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You Can!
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Slam Variations

• Team Slam
• Slam Open (vs. Slam Shut)
• Queen of the Hill
• 2 Outta 3
• Invitational (Teacher Slam)
• Dead Poet Slams (Jim Morrison vs. Walt Whitman!)

• Bad Poem Slams
• Head-to-Head Haiku
• Hip Hop Slams
• Prop Slams
• Improv Slams
• Group Poem Slams
• Slam for a Cause
• Heckler Slams
• Persona Poem Slam

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Web Resources www.poetryslam.com
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Web Resources www.e-poets.net
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Web Resources www.livepoets.com
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Web Resources www.slamnation.com Video
Resource Slamnation
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Video Resources National Slam DVDs

• Featuring Team and Individual Finalists
• National Poetry Slam 2002, Minneapolis
• A look at Corbet Dean

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