Topics

31

General Discussion / NPS 2009 will be in...

« on: August 29, 2008, 02:44:53 PM »

All,

The Executive Council thought long and hard on the decision about where to place next year's NPS.  So many people stepped up to the plate with immediate support and great questions about what it would take to host it this time next year.  In the end we discussed, debated and voted for Chris Imperial's offer to host it in Florida!

We are in the process of narrowing down the appropriate city site, as Chris came to us with a number of very strong options.  We look forward to releasing that choice very soon as well.

Thank you to all of the members for their patience, and particularly those cities that offered to take up the charge.  We now have more genuine and potential stated interest in all of our events by some dynamic organizers...more than we've seen in some years.  It is a testimony to our community that, despite adversity of even this magnitude, we have jumped right on our horses and answered the call.   Keep your eyes on the PSi forums for more details soon, and be looking for the new website to launch shortly.

Scott Woods
President, PSi

32

General Discussion / Rust Belt Regional Poetry Slam 2008

« on: April 10, 2008, 11:31:36 AM »

Nine years and going, one of the most dynamic regional slams to be found!



For more info check the website:
http://www.rustbeltpoetryslam.com

33

General Discussion / Letter from the President: Women of the World Poetry Slam Launch

« on: March 13, 2008, 09:49:04 AM »

(Feel free to post wherever you like.)
========================

All,

And so it begins: a new PSI event - the Women of the World Poetry Slam (WOWPS) - launches and poetry spreads ever further and faster into the world.  It's very easy to label this event historic, and it deserves the term, but to me there is something more important than historical value at play.

When we created the Individual World Poetry Slam (IWPS) a few years back, the majority of people attending the event (and the ones since) have always commented fervently on the "feel" of the event, how it was different from NPS and its enormous agendas and historical heft.  At IWPS poets were stripped down to themselves, sans teams, compelled to find support not in the known, but the unknown...in who might be present and willing to communicate on a personal and artistic level.  People leave IWPS feeling a part of a new and larger family.  Having been not only an organizer but a participant of IWPS from the start, I can attest to these feelings and new connections first hand.

I cannot wait to see what the women of the Slam community will not only bring to, but draw from this event.  It is a powerful statement to not only poetry but the world that the women of the Slam community not only play in this event, but conceived it, drafted it, organized it, work it and represent it.  Think about it: almost all of the stage presence - poets, MCs, Bout Managers, Scorekeeper "Voice of God" - will be all women.  The host city is a crew of almost all women.  The support staff is largely women.  All of the poets are women.  Even the side events are sick with women!  This isn't some symbolic gesture on the part of a male-led PSI (in truth, half of the Executive Council are women).  This is genuine interest by women to create an event featuring women to address the state of women with art.  If you're the sort that looks to make political statements, that's a pretty strong one to make.  This is not a "Special Slam Olympics" or a "side show".  This is a hands-on, ground-up movement of culture and body politic and empowerment.  I could see it in the words and faces of the women who I have spoken with this week who are going.  They can't wait to be there.

I am so very poud of everyone who has been involved with this event to date, and I can't wait to hear how these women - all of these women - will sharpen and navigate and support one another.  I believe that this is one of those events that if you considered going to but decided against it, you will feel pretty sad you did this time next week.

Congratulations to all of the poets and the organizers and to the hard-working women of Detroit for really running with the ball on this one and slam dunking it in the process.  With an event with these kinds of implications and potential, there can't be any losers come Saturday night.  I am humbled by all of your gifts.

Please enjoy your first-ever Women of the World Poetry Slam.

Scott Woods
(Proud) President of Poetry Slam, Inc.
Columbus, Ohio

34

General Discussion / Politicians & The Poetry of their Lives

« on: February 14, 2008, 09:42:13 AM »

A poet who attends the Writers' Block Poetry Night here in Columbus, Ohio, Joanna Schroeder, wrote the following article on the current campaigners and how they intersect poetry.  It is an AWESOME article.

http://schroederjt.livejournal.com/119213.html?view=471725#t471725

35

General Discussion / The PSI Volunteer of the Year Award

« on: February 07, 2008, 07:47:12 PM »

The first-ever Volunteer of the Year award is linked to the front page of our website!
See who the very-deserving winner is and who our other incredible nominations were!

http://www.poetryslam.com

36

General Discussion / Who is your 2008 WOWPS Representative?

« on: January 31, 2008, 02:38:18 PM »

Columbus - Writers' Block is proud to announce our 2008 rep: Donielle Johnson!

37

General Discussion / Writers' Block Workshop for Poets featuring Steve Marsh

« on: January 14, 2008, 11:04:40 PM »

If you're anywhere near Ohio Feb. 9, check it out:

Workshop with Steve Marsh

The creator of the second oldest poetry slam in the universe, founder of Wordsmith Press, and with over twenty years of experience in the high school classroom, Steve Marsh brings a rich history and a wealth of experience to stages across Michigan and North America. His poetry is a broad mixture of the serious and the silly with subject matter ranging from the changing roles for men in our culture to politics, to modern science's impact on our physical and spiritual lives, to a long series of "channeled" haiku from the dogs in his life.

Steve is currently the Executive Director of Poetry Slam, Incorporated, the non-profit organization that administers all the "official" poetry slams in the world and brings the National Poetry Slam, the largest single performance poetry festival, to a new city in North America each year. He is a poet with many published poems and the author of five self-published and distributed chapbooks and one CD of his original work.

Steve's workshop is guaranteed change your relationship with poetry!

Bring your poems and material to write new work with.

Refreshments provided.
If you can't do this, forward it to someone who can!


Workshop on writing and performance       
Saturday, February 9   
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm at Northside Public Library
Price: $40.00

Also: If you can't pay all at once online you are welcome to pay in installments AT THE WEEKLY WEDNESDAY WRITERS' BLOCK SHOW!
Installment payment is NOT available online.
Deadline for all payments is Wednesday, Feb. 6.

You can purchase tickets now at the WB website:
http://www.wideopenwest.com/%7Eefavers0976/OPENMIC_Commisary.htm

38

General Discussion / Slam featured in World Literature Today!

« on: December 24, 2007, 02:54:26 PM »

If you find yourself at a reputable bookstore anytime soon, be sure to pick up the latest issue of "World Literature Today" (Jan - Feb 2008).  It's a sharp, internationally-focused and read magazine that HAPPENS to feature a lead article about Slam written by myself, and features a powerful handful of poems to go with it (including my own "Comfort Woman's Gold").

Poets featured include: the late and great Angela Boyce, Rachel McKibbens, Michael Cirelli, Tony Brown, Jack McCarthy and Marc Smith.

It's an article I'm pretty proud of and I think anyone - even a poetry neophyte - would get a kick out of it.

Also: get a kick out of some great pictures and a couple of other articles on Slam in foriegn countries!

Scott Woods

39

General Discussion / Rust Belt 2008

« on: December 19, 2007, 12:53:27 PM »

All,

I didn't want us to leave 2007 without having SOMETHING for you regarding the 2008 Rust Belt. It's starting to get some organization attention and I'm pieceing together a plan for what should be a great event.

To that end, the dates for the 2008 Rust Belt will be Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17 here in Columbus, Ohio. Mark your calendars!

Getting everything else together soon, and I'll be sure to keep you abreast of all developments as they've been put together.

Scott Woods

40

General Discussion / HAPPY BIRTHDAY...

« on: November 15, 2007, 08:14:29 AM »

...Delrica!

She slaves tirelessly on behalf of membership, always the EC member most likely to bring up, "What will members think?"  To say that Delrica has always been very supportive of PSI and Slam is a severe understatement.  The woman is tireless on behalf of PSI, and we love her for it.  You can't always tell what she's impressing upon behind the scenes, but trust me: she leaves major impact.

Kudos sis!  Go ahead: have a drink...

41

General Discussion / NaNoWriMo Slammers?

« on: November 11, 2007, 08:38:09 PM »

Out of curiosity, any of you slammers doing NaNoWriMo this year?

42

General Discussion / 24-Hour Poetry Feature Could Be You!

« on: October 22, 2007, 08:45:00 PM »

As some of you know, for the last two years I have performed 24-Hour solo poetry features to usher in National Poetry Month.  Yes, I am very hardcore. 

I'm going to do something different this year, something that I hope will really amp up the power of this event: I'm going to share it.

You can get details here:
http://www.wideopenwest.com/~efavers0976/24n_front.htm

I'm not trying to organize these readings or lord over them.  I simply want the info for them to be in one place out the gate.  I like to think that it will make it more impressive to local media and to your local scenes.  It's like National Novel Writing Month, but not.

This is not a Slam thing.  Last year I didn't read work by any slam poets.  This is about poetry and generating an appreciation - if not utter awe - of it in others.
In a world filled with blaise-ism, sometimes poetry has to do something epic to accumulate its just and proper reverence.

Come on: everybody's doing it.

43

General Discussion / Angela Boyce Contact?

« on: October 09, 2007, 10:30:02 AM »

All,

Anyone have contact info for Angela Boyce's family?
I'm trying to get a poem of hers published but I need permission.

Thanks!

44

General Discussion / EC Change - Goodbye, Welcome

« on: September 05, 2007, 08:08:52 AM »

All,

PSI's Executive Council is sad to inform that Rev. Bill MacMillan - longtime slammer, SlamMaster and all-around great guy from Worcestor - is stepping down from his Trustee position on the EC to pursue his art more fully.  His contributions have been many and they have been real work.  It is genuinely tough to see him go, even for something as noble and satisfying as pursuing his art.

We are very happy to inform you that his slot will be filled by Boston-Cantab's-own Simone Beaubien until next April.  Simone is a fine SlamMaster in her own right, and an equally great person.  She's smart as two whips and we can't wait to put her to work.

45

Slam Selection Processes / Columbus - Writers' Block

« on: August 17, 2007, 01:36:03 PM »

Taken directly from our website, with notes to follow for upcoming changes:

1) Qualifying slams will be held during the regularly advertised slams on the usual Writers' Block Poetry slam night. 

Writers' Block Slam Seasons
NPS season: January - April; Grand Slam in May
WoW season: June - August; Grand Slam in August
iWPS season: September - November; Grand Slam in December

All poets entering a slam for the purposes of team contention will be asked if their participation in that slam is to be considered for contention. 

Poets who sign up for contention will be awarded points for placing in the top 4 places:
- 4 points for 1st
- 3 points for 2nd
- 2 points for 3rd
- 1 point for 4th.

If they do not wish to be considered for the team/iWPS at that time, they will be awarded no points during that slam regardless of where they place.  Points will not be retro-actively awarded at any time, though points will slide down to the next rank if a 1-4 placed poet doesn't vie for national slam contention. Points are not awarded to poets who do not make it to a point-earning round, regardless of slide.

Example:  If a poet placed 2nd in a slam but is not vying for team/slot consideration then they will be awarded no points for that placement at any time (even if you wish to be considered for team qualification at a later date), and their points slide down to the 3rd place winner. 
Also, if the 4th place winner in a slam is not vying for team/slot consideration, their point may slide down to the 5th place poet vying for contention in the last round, but not to a vying poet who was cut in a preceding round. The point(s) are simply lost. If you can't get to the last round, you don't get the points.

The top 8 poets with the highest accumulation of points from their respective slam seasons will be put in a pool of candidates for their respective Grand Slam.

2) There is no minimum age or experience requirement.  All people are welcome to slam for the team.

3) Team members will likely have weekly meetings on dates determined by the coach of the team.  These meetings, if scheduled, are mandatory.  Poets who miss meetings or other team requirements may be replaced.  If replacements are necessary, they will be handled by the score placement of remaining poets in the candidate pool as can be reasonably accomodated.

4) NPS / iWPS / WoW reps will be expected to participate in fundraisers as deemed necessary by their coach and/or SlamMaster..

5) Poets will have to be able to clear about a week of time for Nationals (usually early August), and about 4 days for iWPS (early February) and WoW (October).

6) Any poet who wants to oversee their own travel and/or hotel accommodations needs to make this course of action clear within the two weeks following their acceptance onto the team.  The budget will have been decided by this point and if they wish to be removed from aspects of the budget it is a personal decision and will be respected.  However, putting them back into the budget after the initial 2 weeks will not be possible and could lead to removal from the team based on circumstances.

7) Poets need not be Columbus residents (though not being a Columbus resident puts you at risk of missing team requirements, which might result in removal from the team).

Poetry Slam Inc. (PSI) - the organization that oversees the NPS every year - has made the signing of video/audio release forms mandatory to participate. What this means: If you don't want PSI to have the rights to video/audio footage they compile of you at NPS/iWPS then you don't want to try out for the team or these slots.

9) Once you slam with a poem for NPS / iWPS / WoW contention you are not allowed to slam with that poem again in a contention slam until the Grand Slam for that team/iWPS slot. If you make it to any of the Grand Slams you may repeat poems as you see fit, but not before then.  This is our "No Repeat" rule.
Yes, you may repeat a poem in an NPS season for contention in and iWPS or WoW season of the same year, and vice-versa.

Some notes:
- This reflects a schedule with WOWPS still in fall and IWPS still in spring.  This will be changed soon to reflect the new schedule.
- We are likely to institute a no-repeat rule for the entire season of an event's contention, Grand Slams included.