Slam: It Is.
Let’s introduce the Collective’s first cousins, the Slam, but you can learn more about ‘em at their Facebook page.
Ozark Poetry Slam meets at Rogue Pizza Company, 402 W. Dickson St. in Fayetteville. Regular slams start there at 7 p.m. every third Tuesday of the month. (Doors at 6:30 p.m.) Any exceptions to time, date and place on the OPS Facebook page. Ages 18 and over are welcome. Admission is $5.
We welcome veteran and virgin competitors at our slams. Step up to the mic and mainline adrenaline, y’all. All types of poetry are encouraged. We greatly encourage costumes for all events.
Slam: When, Who, a glimmer of Why.
7-9:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 20, 2012: Team Qualifier Slam. Ozark Poetry Slam shall gather to put together a group of poets for a very special quest to deliver poetry to the faraway lands of Oklahoma and Nebraska, and defeat the hordes along the way! Feature performance by poet and novelist Marc Marcel from Baltimore. Doors open at 6:30. Details can be found on this Facebook event page.
Competition details: Two rounds, reverse order second round. Cumulative score. Original poems only. 3 minute time limit. Multiple sacrifices before the first round.
Groovy News
The Ozark Poetry Slam will host the Individual World Poetry Slam 2012 in Fayetteville later in the year. Like wow! Details will be posted on this Facebook IWPS2012 page as they are firmed up.
Slam: How It Is.
A slam is a boisterous competition of performance poetry. Cover (for expenses) for audience and participants alike is $5. There’s no additional charge to compete. The general rules are simple:
- Poets must perform, or read, their own work.
- The poem must be unaccompanied — no props, costumes or musical instruments.
- The poem must be presented within 3 minutes, 10 seconds (oo:03:10) (poets lose points if longer).
- Poets must bring at least two poems as there are multiple rounds.
- After the poet has performed, five randomly selected audience members will judge the poem from 0 to 10, using one decimal point. The high and low score for each round will be dropped, allowing for a maximum possible score of 30. After both rounds, scores will be added together and a winner declared. Depending on the number of competitors, there may be a cut after the first round.
Slam: What The.
In 1994, OPWC sponsored the first Slam in Arkansas. … And in 1995, in conjunction with local NPR affiliate KUAF-FM, we held our first “on-air” Radio Slam. In 1996 the OPWC had a slam off starting in January and went until May, where we had a grand slam, and our team was thus created. In 1995, OPWC sent its first team to compete in the National Poetry Slam. In 2003, the area slam group went indie, but the door’s always open, kids.
In June 2003, the Ozark Slam Team got stranded in New Orleans. In July they got arrested in Oklahoma City. In August they drove to Nationals in Chicago and returned home safely with no major incidents. Anchor poet Clayton Scott placed 64th out of 273 poets, and the team overall placed low enough to stop counting.
The decisions about how OPS is run are made by the Ozark Poetry Slam Council. The council comprises those who are regular attendees of or participants in the slams. For more information, contact Houston Hughes or Michelle Miesse at a slam.
The Fayetteville Free Weekly in early July 2010 made the OPS its cover story, just like Rolling Stone did for Lady Gaga holding Gen. McChrystal’s guns.
Contact: Ozark Slam Team’s Doug Shields. Or phone (479) 872-2675.
Slam: Linkage.
Poetry Slam Inc., “The Points Are Not the Point,” lots of links, lots of tips, organized.
