TEMPE TEAM - RADIO INTERVIEW

[bobdapoet]

Corbet and I spoke by email this morning and collaborated on promoting his Famecast vote- we did not discuss this circumstance because we had other work to be done.

But that's really not the point, is it, Apollo-

Answer my questions-

When will I get the Video?

When and where did I tell you you had to have a SINGLE slamoff?

I say to you again, if you are so right, and you have no faults in this, then stand here and deliver your evidence. You have denied NOTHING of what I have put forth, and you continue to dance around the subject when it would be simple to just give up the video and let Terran be redeemed.

Apollo- this is about accountability, and you've been throwing alot of accusations around about people doing YOU wrong. Now prove it. If you are hurt, fine, I get it, and I think you have every right to be angry, I've Never denied that, and I responded as such in my own journal. But do not assume that you have all the facts, that you know everything when you haven't even asked me in person a single question. I have been accountable for every comment you have made in this thread, connected or not.

Even when we were at The Fair Trade Cafe- you never even asked me a single question, you just took what Terran said as gospel, you even say it in your above post, "Terren told us that you and mesa protested that we didn't have a slam-off and that we needed to." You know what, I can't tell you where to invest your belief, that I can tell you to look at your relationships and what they are about.

I'm not trying to hurt you, I'm not trying to make you out as the bad guy- you are not. BUT I need you to see what you are posting, what you are saying, and realize that sometimes understanding is far more important than being understood. I am asking for some respect, because I have worked hard to be respectful of you, and Terran, and Merlyn and Paul. I am sorry for what happened to you guys, but I am not responsible for it either.

[apollopoetry]

You're as responsible for it as America was for 9/11.
We FUNDED Al Qaida years ago and now we're biting our lip for it.  Probably an extreme comparison, But to me ANYONE who contributed to it was responsible for it, with Terran being the main contributor...Granted.
So what WAS your arguement (when I say 'you' i mean Mesa) for doing the original protest.  You guys were saying that we NEEDED to have a slam-off. And YOU'RE not the person who we have to give the video to or prove ANYTHING to.  I don't own the videos or know the person who does, but Terran does, and I've already told him to gather them all and send it in. 

And I'm sorry...But the fact that you've done this for 14 years isn't a reason to respect you...It's actually a reason to NOT respect you...Because if you've done this for 14 years and haven't even done anything for the community and caused nothing but drama the whole time, than I look down at that, not look up to it.

[bobdapoet]

And I wasn't asking for an explanation or if you feel bad about what happened ...I was just asking DID YOU:

And you openly admitted that you did to most of those things, regardless of you being 'human' or not.  You DID do all those things, so what makes you think you're in a position to criticize what I do

Yeah, honesty's a bitch, huh. Because I am accountable, I will give you specific answers to specific questions when you ask.

Too bad I am having trouble getting the same from you.

I'm not criticizing you, I am responding to your allegations that I actively worked against you and your team's participation in the National Poetry Slam... or did you forget that. Because I didn't work against you, or anyone else.

[apollopoetry]

YOUR TEAM did the original protest. YOUR team was the final 'conclusion' and deciding factor of the final protest.  How can you say you didn't contribute to this at all?? But wait, I know...."It's for the 'integrity' of the scene.

[MattMason]

Apollo, am I correct in seeing that you and your team had a chance to compete at the National Poetry Slam, partake in all the events, bouts, open mics, late night shenanigans, poetry, poetry, and poetry EVEN THOUGH your team should have been denied entry?

Am I correct in seeing that even though you snuck in to this great opportunity (something I can't do every year but revel in it when I CAN get there, that I loved every moment until the lack of sleep left me with a fever for two days in my hotel bed watching crappy movies on TV (still, technically, I got out to a few events those days and had a blast)), that despite your good fortune... you feel it necessary to shower the world with anger, bile, accusations, and poor sportsmanship?

If so, I think you need to reevaluate why you were at NPS in the first place.

Omaha missed semis by 3 slots and we had a damn blast,
Matt

[apollopoetry]

You dont know anything about the situation or the people involved. It's not a 'privilege to PERFORM - It's a duty.   It's a privalage to LISTEN to all the great poetry.  My intentions for poetry are as pure as they come.  Don't forget that we dont know anything about each other.

When the 1st investigation was being done, I was the first one to tap out, and was still planning on coming to the Nationals because I was that excited to WATCH poetry- THAT was the 'privilege.

It's the games, the timing, the back and forth emotional-toying, and the entire process that got me frustrated.  Don't get it twisted

[Queenpen]

Quote from: dbodinem on Today at 03:22:21 PM

My team didn't pay the registration fee-my city did.  We fundraised for it by putting on events.  My team didn't pay for lodging or travel costs.  That you did, suggest, once again, your slammaster and slam aren't as wired into your community as you think.  If you can't raise the $5000 dollars to get to NPS from your community, then how small is your community?  What the hell is your slam master doing?
 

A bit off the subject but I had to address the quote above...

dbodinem, you and your slam team are lucky and you should be thankful. But know this... My SM and Coach busted their asses to make sure we made it to Nationals but we still each came out of our pockets to make up the difference. My community (at this point)  does not care about poetry or SLAM but it is not any of our faults. We are doing our best to bring poetry to the city of Killeen but for the 2007 Nationals we got ZERO support.  I 100% disagree with your statment and you cannot blame a cities lack of support on the team.

Now of course since we had a little success we might see city officials want to lend support in the future but our team is new... just like Tempe and these things take time. We are not all as lucky as your team but with a little time... maybe.

Respectfully,
Queen
Killeen Poetry Slam

[bobdapoet]

YOUR TEAM did the original protest. YOUR team was the final 'conclusion' and deciding factor of the final protest.  How can you say you didn't contribute to this at all?? But wait, I know...."It's for the 'integrity' of the scene.

Look, Apollo, believe what you feel to be true, and that's it. Post potshots to your heart's content about me, about Mesa, whomever.

I don't believe what happened Thursday Night went down correctly, I posted on my LJ about it as soon as it happened, and that's all I can tell you. I didn't post that Tempe HAD to have a one slam finals, I never told anyone I thought that Tempe HAD to have a one show Slamoff. I'll feel that way regardless of how you decide to come at me.

I believed that Terran, after two years of experience in slam, didn't do it right, and I kept my mouth shut because his slam was his business, not mine. Because if I had made a big issue about it, it would have been about me causing issues, just like you accuse me of. But I know other people talked to him about it, people I know you and I trust. He didn't do anything. Somebody else saw it differently, protested, and had it ruled on. I never said anything about anyone not getting to slam to anyone, I came to your bout to support. I cheered your team on with Johnathan and Jessica right up front.

I was told on Wednedsay night/Thursday morning that there was at least one person in the Tempe community that would have been a great candidate to go, but didn't get the opportunity to try. I got an email from someone else saying Terran promised them a spot on the team.

I don't think Terran had an open process whose details were available to everyone, I'm not going to lie about it. But no one ever asked me what I thought. Don didn't call me, Bill McMillan didn't call me, nobody called me, so I told nobody, because it wasn't my place, and I was OK with that after I finally pressed Don and had a conversation with him on the phone.

I was angry to have to come in at 2am on Friday morning, because I knew this was exactly what was going to happen, and it did. I was done and over it months ago, and ready to see your team get a chance to tear up semis, especially after what you had told me you sacrificed to get them there. Chesko and Kelsey told the truth, they didn't lie to make anyone look bad. They didn't let you stay with them because they wanted to hurt you, they were ready to be done with it, and they wanted you to know that, especially Kelsey.

I have nothing else for you, I don't have the answer you want me to have.

You are right to be angry, and you know what, you can be angry at me if you want. But I'm sorry, I didn't have any ill will towards you, Merlyn, Paul or even Terran. I didn't try to take anything away from you. I still don't have any ill will, and I'm still not trying to take anything away from you.

Post away, I got nothin' left.

[apollopoetry]

Well..If you're going to tell me that I can't be mad at YOU for something you didn't know about...than you can't be mad at me for something I didnt know about...Some of the things that you're saying about Terren , I had no clue.  I know that he asked a few people if they WANTED to be on the slam.  I had no knowledge if he PROMISED people a spot on the slam that DIDN'T slam and win.  And I cant just go out and believe everything I hear...So if somebody just SAYS that, why should i believe that person's word over my own slam masters? Which is in essence, what I HAVE to do, in order to take your side.  And the reason I bought up all those things in the past, is because that's the leverage used for my mind to NOT take your side.  But maybe, through it all, you might be right and I'm just simply not aware of how bad manifest messed up.  But my opinion is based on what I KNOW and what I SAW....And watching your team walk right by FELT like a knife in my back.  It's REALLY hard for me to look at it any other way. 

[Scott Woods]

You're as responsible for it as America was for 9/11.
We FUNDED Al Qaida years ago and now we're biting our lip for it.  Probably an extreme comparison, But to me ANYONE who contributed to it was responsible for it, with Terran being the main contributor...Granted.

Okay, I'LL say it:

At the point that comparisons are being made about a protest at the National Poetry Slam and the terrorist attacks of 9/11, you just lost any credibility with me that you might have some sense. 

It is not an extreme comparison; it is an asinine and ridiculous comparison worthy of contempt.  Just sayin'.

[apollopoetry]

And who said chicago and mesa werent buddy-buddy? is it true that a female member of Mesa was MAKING-OUT with a male member from Chicago during the semis? doesnt she have a boyfriend? ouch.
is that true? hmm..

And I'm not COMPARING THE TWO! jesus christ...For a bunch of poets, I'd think that you guys would understand comparison's better.  I'm talking about the influenced mentalities and the contradiction

[kashe]

Alright, this thread makes me sick in so many ways. . .

As a slammaster I spent 6 years fighting for rules that would make slams transparent and give every poet in the community a chance to get on a team in their area, specifically so that no one would be left out of a slam because of the color of their skin, their sexual oreintation, the kind of work that they perform, or a personal grudge. Now maybe you live in an area where one has a few slams to choose from, but in most areas of the country this is not like this.  I also fought for these rules so that there would not be another hand picked team like Mouth Almighty, because I don't think that having a hand picked team of professionals, or of people whom all pull 10s is fair.

Me and countless other slammasters over the history of slam have spent an awesome amount of hours, and money to get to the annual slammasters meeting so that we could hopefully have a smooth event.  We've spent countless hours on listservs and time in chatrooms to hopefully produce that best possible results for the poets, as well as for the NPS.  

Also "Slam Off"  is just lingo for final team selection, the process of it, new people may equate it to one event but really most people are referring to the process when they say this.

Now, I am not a slammmaster anymore, but if I still was I would've filed a protest when I first heard about the possible violation, and then again with the protest committee if nothing came to the first protest, why?

Because I feel that rules are made for a reason, and that it is a slap in the face to all those who have fought so hard to make this an open and fair event.  Even if your SM is just poorly informed, letting Tempe slide would mean that there would be 10 teams next year trying to do the same thing and using you all as precedent.  And then that open stage, that open slam that I fought for so that ANYONE in a community has a chance to have thier voice heard would slowly be chipped away.

Now, it's true that I am the former slammaster of Mental Graffiiti, BUT you can go though the poetry slam listerve and read all my old posts to know how greatly  I feel about all of this, you can see how much time I spent on just that  listserv trying tomake things right, trying to advance slam and touring poets, etc.

I would've liked for things to work out differently, for the orginal prostest to be taken more seriously, but that is not how it turned out.  And Instead I am watching you insult the 100's of poets and slammasters and organisers that I respect and admire, I am watching you insult something that has been near and dear to me for 10 years.  

As a poet whom I am sure has aspirations to tour, I would think about toning it down, because I am not the only person who is reading the things that you say and watching the way that you are acting. that wonders what would happen if you step on our stages.  My advice take it or leave it.

Krystal Ashe
Chicago Mental Graffiti Slammaster 98 - 2003

[apollopoetry]

THEN we should've been disqualified.

Keep in mind, that there is no FINAL verdict. Just because we got disqualified, doesn't mean that we weren't legitimate, and apparantly, just because we got in, doesn't mean that we WERE legitimate.

I'm talking about the PROCESS...If that much time was spent on this, why did us Tempe poets end up even being put in this positiong in our first slam?  Who approves the slam master/ the venue? who trains the slam master on all this info? I was just a poet who came out weekly and slammed, and got thrown in all this drama, and felt DISGUSTED by the fakeness and ego's that I saw in poetry. Especially when I have more of a reason to have an ego, than ANY of these no-name local poets who do SHIT for their community's and come out for the wrong reasons.  For the MILLIONTH TIME...I WASNT PLANNING ON SLAMMING when I came out this year.  It was never about the slam or the results. It was the process and the behind-the-back BS.  I'm sorry if I vented earlier and disrespected the organization or the peopel who put time into this, but I don't see how this issue wasn't covered after all these years. This should NEVER happen to any POET. 

The radio interview was my more calm approach to the topic- and me giving the info that I was aware of and my account of what happened. That's all I can do.  i can't just stay quiet when I feel that I got screwed over (by not just ONE person).....But by my slam master, by my state, by my friends, by PSI AND the board....or I should say PSI 'or' the board...because one of them was definitely wrong in their decision.  obviously.

[bobdapoet]

And watching your team walk right by FELT like a knife in my back.  It's REALLY hard for me to look at it any other way. 

This, I will own and I will apologize for without hesitation, at least for me. It was an awkward place that by all accounts no one should have had to be in. I can understand why this would get at you like that, I would feel the same way. I am sorry, it was disrespectful.

I'm not mad at you Apollo, I absolutely see where you are coming from on this entire issue, and yes, I see all of the coincidence and circumstance that all points to the same thing. I don't blame you for being angry, and I certainly don't blame you for being angry at me, or Kelsey, or Chesko.

All I'm asking, is call me on the phone and yell at me or have me meet you and tell me what you're feeling. Give us each the change to exchange what we know. I think if we do that, we both may learn some stuff that we didn't know before.

You are right, if somebody says it, it's just being said. But at least let's get together and I'll share with you what I know, show you what I have, and let you go from there.

[kashe]

THEN we should've been disqualified.

Keep in mind, that there is no FINAL verdict. Just because we got disqualified, doesn't mean that we weren't legitimate, and apparantly, just because we got in, doesn't mean that we WERE legitimate.

I'm talking about the PROCESS...If that much time was spent on this, why did us Tempe poets end up even being put in this positiong in our first slam?  Who approves the slam master/ the venue? who trains the slam master on all this info? I was just a poet who came out weekly and slammed, and got thrown in all this drama, and felt DISGUSTED by the fakeness and ego's that I saw in poetry. Especially when I have more of a reason to have an ego, than ANY of these no-name local poets who do SHIT for their community's and come out for the wrong reasons.  For the MILLIONTH TIME...I WASNT PLANNING ON SLAMMING when I came out this year.  It was never about the slam or the results. It was the process and the behind-the-back BS.  I'm sorry if I vented earlier and disrespected the organization or the peopel who put time into this, but I don't see how this issue wasn't covered after all these years. This should NEVER happen to any POET. 

The radio interview was my more calm approach to the topic- and me giving the info that I was aware of and my account of what happened. That's all I can do.  i can't just stay quiet when I feel that I got screwed over (by not just ONE person).....But by my slam master, by my state, by my friends, by PSI AND the board....or I should say PSI 'or' the board...because one of them was definitely wrong in their decision.  obviously.

As  far as I know your slammaster said one thing in the original interviewing protest, and then when he got to NPS he said another.  There is a process and it has worked for quite a long time now.  There are requirements to get a venue certified, but in the end a community is who decides whom is a good slammaste/ Host/ Organizer.  Someone who may not know all the rules for an event that happens once a year, maybe be an awesome Host whom brings the people in all year long, if this is the case dont get down on him, find hoim an assistant who can learn the rules because they are all here on forums, in listservs and in the rulebook that everyvenue gets..   

I hate to see you still insulting the many tremendous people at NPS, maybe they are not as famous as you are, but many of them run programss at schools, in prisons, have started other large tournments, have been widely published, or just plain saved someone's life wonce with something that they said in a poem, at to me, that is what slam and spoken word are all about..