To some people, poetry slams may mean insults directed at poems, but to thousands of poetry fans, they are events that offer a venue for the competitive art of performance poetry.
The art of “slamming” began in 1984 when construction worker and poet Marc Smith began reading poetry at a Chicago jazz club called the Get Me High Lounge. Two years later, he approached the owner of The Green Mill, Dave Jemilo to hold a competition for poetry readers.
Sixteen years later, Jemilo is still holding slam contests at The Green Mill, and Smith is now the president of Poetry Slam Incorporated.
PSI has also now extended its tendrils into the Eugene community at Foolscap Books, an independent bookstore located at 780 Blair Blvd.
Foolscap Owner Marietta Bonaventure is very enthusiastic about the fact that Eugene is involved with PSI.
On Sept. 28, the bookstore will host the first in a series of nine PSI-recognized slam contests. The first six slam-offs will determine the finalists for the last three.
After the finalists are chosen, three more slam-offs will determine who will be on the team that is sent to the annual national competition.
The contests are open to everyone. Sign up for each slam is at 7:30 p.m., events begin at 8 p.m. and the cost to participate is $3 to $5.
No one knows yet where the national competition will be, but it is sure to draw a large crowd. The draw for past competitions ranged from 900 to 2000 people, and audience members are encouraged to get involved in the performances.
Audiences have total control over the competition. The five judges are chosen directly from the audience. Observers can cheer, jeer, boo and applaud any performance. Because the judging is so organic, what wins one week may not convince audiences the next.
Bonaventure is especially excited about the national competition because this is the first year that Eugene will send a team.
The team’s existence is largely due to a grant that Foolscap received from the Lane Arts Council. Although Bonaventure had never prepared a grant proposal before, she received the award.
Bonaventure was motivated by the amount of local interest in slams. Foolscap sponsored some slams during a spring benefit and, although they have had poetry readings for three years, Bonaventure decided it was time for a real slam team.
“I got really excited and motivated a week before the grant was due. I submitted the proposal, and they gave me the grant,” Bonaventure said.
For more information about the poetry slams, call Foolscap Bookstore at 681-9212.