Poetry lovers and poets of all levels are invited to a fun evening at Arapahoe Community College (ACC) featuring the winners of the 2006 National Poetry Slam Championship, a hands-on workshop on "The Art of the Spoken Word," and a poetry reading competition open to novices and pros.
The event, dubbed "Poetry Slam 101," and presented by ACC's Writers Studio, occurs Wednesday, November 15, at the Half Moon in the College's MainBuilding at 5900 S. Santa Fe Drive in Littleton.
ACC's Writers Studio is a community for writers in the southwest metro area. So what is a Poetry Slam? Poetry slam is the competitive art of performance poetry. It puts a dual emphasis on writing and performance, encouraging poets to focus on what they're saying and how they're saying it.
"To me, the best poetry slams are competitions that yoke quality poetry with dynamic delivery," explains Dr. Kathryn Winograd, who is an award-winning poet, full-time member of ACC's English faculty and coordinator of the Writer's Studio. "The highlight of our Poetry 101 evening will be a workshop and special performance presented by the 2006 Denver Slam Team, which defeated 73 teams and 500 poets from all over the country at the National Poetry Slam this past August."
"Poetry Slam 101," begins with the 45-minute "The Art of the Spoken Word" workshop at 6 p.m. The $4 workshop is open to poets in the public of any level. Students may attend for $3. The workshop will focus on transferring poetry from the page to the stage. Specifically, participants will discuss the specific advantages and limitations of speaking poetry out loud while suggesting various techniques and approaches to maximize the impact of poetry reading and performance.
At 7 p.m. the Denver Slam Team will deliver a free 30-minute show in which they reprise their award-winning performances that earned them their title as national champions. Recalling their national victory, one of their two coaches, Ted Vaca says, "They had transcended. . . .they were no longer just poets or performers - they were from another world, angels of a higher understanding delivering the word of the cosmos." Adds Westword reporter Jared Jacang Maher, Denver's team "won with good, strong poetry, not just yelling or ranting, but with the gift of true lyricism."
At 7:45 p.m., all participants will have the option to read and perform their poetry at the Writers Studio's "Poetry Slam 101." This fun and non-threatening competition will match poets of varying skill levels, from the experienced slammer to the novice lyricist wanting to try out a new experience. Grand prizes will be awarded as well as prizes in several categories.
Coaching alongside Vaca is Eddie Eifler. Members of the Denver Slam Team include Ken Arkind, Isis, PanamaSoweto, Jen Rinaldi, Katie Wirsing, Paulie Lipman and Bianca Mikahn.
"We encourage anyone looking for fun performance-oriented entertainment to stop by and enjoy Poetry Slam 101 on November 15," concludes Winograd. "Come revel with us in the joy of the spoken word!"
For more information please contact ACC's Writers Studio at 303.797.5815 or
writerstudio@arapahoe.edu.
Joe Marquez, is Arapahoe Community College's Communications Specialist