Like I do with any good party, I arrived fashionably late to the Final Slam at Foolscap Books on Saturday night. The festivities hadn’t yet begun, but unfortunately every seat was taken.
Looking around, I quickly realized I was underdressed. This was a formal event. Lavish evening gowns and various artistic forms of tuxedos seemed to be the way to go. If only I knew beforehand.
I found a place against a wall of books, toward the back, so I could see the stage. People were still filing in as Marietta Bonaventure, Foolscap owner and hostess of the evening, approached the stage dressed in a black ballroom gown and tiara to announce the beginning of the festivities — the open mic.
The open mic poets were fairly decent but obviously just a warm-up act. The highlight was Don Goldman, the crazy white-haired cat who gives daily speeches in the EMU Amphitheater. He was wearing a top hat, tux and walked to the stage with a cane. His poem about zombies was gruesome and hysterical.
After the open mic, the all-female Seattle-based Oratrix stepped up to the mic. Their topics ranged from sexuality in all its forms to America’s image-based culture to witty pieces of hope for the people who at least try to do something with their life. The three women’s wit and demeanor were great, and their poems were outstanding.
By the time Oratrix finished its set, the room temperature had gone from a gentle summer breeze to a sweaty tropical funk. The place was swamped with people.
This was a good time for a better seat, so I found a spot on the floor, closer to the stage. People were packed in like bricks in a wall, blocking the walkway to the stage, all waiting with excitement. The room was seething with energy. And then it began.
Trying to sum up or explain the poets’ work is like trying to explain an acid trip. The words would fail to accurately describe the majesty conveyed by the six slam poets — it must be experienced to be understood. But what went on that night was surely an eye-opening experience worth repeating.
Among the six performers, there was Shae Shattuck-Faegre, whose poems expressed a wide range of emotions and thoughts about taking responsibility in this hostile world to living on a farm milking goats. She is a powerhouse storyteller.
Sam Rutledge, wearing a “Dark Side of the Moon” tie and red Kangol hat, spread minds with his humorous poetry about the holy trinity’s appearance at a prom dance. His overall
demeanor seemed to be “live happy, despite the surrounding darkness.”
With a calm outer appearance, Kitt Jennings shocked the audience with inner rage and some of the most violent and intense poetry of the evening. I never realized expelling demons could be so artful.
The slightly bashful Cassie Sorensen had some of the most beautiful and spiritual poems of the six performers. Her words were subtle yet fiery. Her gently burning poems lingered in my head long after she recited them.
Olivia Pepper’s poems progressed from heart-breaking to hilarious as the night went on. She had a modest
quality that helped her poetry get under your skin. They were so heart-felt it sent chills down the spine.
The most impressive poet of the evening was easily Jahan Khalighi. He seemed to summon ancient energy into his body and release it, eyes closed, with the passion of John Coltrane and the delivery of a young Martin Luther King Jr. People were gasping and whooping and rocking to the rhythms of his meter. His quivering voice and powerful portrayal of the mystical idea of spoken word gave him the highest score of the evening, and he received an explosive standing ovation from the crowd.
All of the poets were absolutely stunning. There was a great diversity of
stories and styles. Sometimes they left you feeling raw and spent. Sometimes they were hilarious. Sometimes they lashed out. But they all revealed multiple truths that exist in this sometimes ugly world. And there was hope buried in all of the poets’ work. In my opinion, they all should have won.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t up to me. So, the four poets chosen to represent Eugene in the National Poetry Slam are Jennings, Pepper, Rutledge and Khalighi.
After the winners were determined, the crowd slowly dissipated into the night as Eleven Eyes began to set up its equipment. This was the end of the event for many. The rest of the evening was more of an insider’s party, a celebration for those involved.
The 2004 Eugene Slam Team will perform at the Willamette Valley Folk Festival this Sunday at 1 p.m. in the Ben Linder Room.