Ozark Poets & Writers Collective

slams

Slam: It Is.

The Collective hits somewhere in between the more traditional, represented by Poets Roundtable of Arkansas (scroll down here for the regional Poets Northwest chapter), and the performance-driven slam poets, going strong in the Ozarks for more than two decades.

Currently there’s Fayetteville Word Wars, a regular feature of Last Saturday, the monthly variety show of the Northwest Arkansas Creative Arts Network, at Ryleigh’s on Dickson in Fayetteville. (In December, it’s replaced by Last Night Fayetteville. Lots of vital info about Last Saturday is available at its Facebook page.

Word Wars sign up is open to anyone with original material, with the exception of its cover slam in October, where all material should be pieces penned by others. Additionally, every April and October has a “haiku death match.” No matter the month, sign up opens at 7 p.m., and the show begins at 7:30 sharp. A cash prize for the slam winner is given every month as well, usually $50.

The slam is two rounds, each three minutes, and follows standard slam rules — all original work and no props, costumes or musical accompaniment (other than what slammers can create with their own bodies). Houston Hughes serves as both host and slam master.

Admission to Last Saturday is free; audience members are encouraged to use their money to buy merchandise from the artists or purchase drinks and snacks. Donations are welcome both for the artists and the continuation of the show.

Spoken-word performances continually evolve, both in the general community and on area campuses. Please let the Collective know — contact info at our About page — about  slam events and groups: We want to help you get the word out.

Slam: How It Is.

The long-running Ozark Poetry Slam, now on hiatus, hosted the Individual World Poetry Slam 2012 in Fayetteville in October of that year. The website for the IWPS, with its own valuable information, is iwps.poetryslam.com. The overall Poetry Slam Inc. website is poetryslam.com; it has details on the National Poetry Slam for teams of poets and the Women of the World Poetry Slam.

Last Saturday’s Word Wars is the certified slam of Fayetteville, and sends people to compete at the National Poetry Slam, IWPS, and WOWPS.

Press: The University of Arkansas campus newspaper reported on the slam scene in November 2015. The Fayetteville Free Weekly in July 2010 set the Ozark Poetry Slam as its cover story.

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 team set itself up separately as the Ozark Poetry Slam, but relations always have remained cordial if not cuddly.

Poetry Slam Inc.’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are helpful.