7pm Wednesday: A team poetry slam with: New Orleans – NOS (LA), Austin – PS (TX), Omaha (NE), and Albany (NY).
9pm Wednesday: A team poetry slam with: Philadelphia (PA), Boston – Lizard (MA), St. Louis (MO), and Worcester (MA).
11pm Wednesday: Roses are red, clovers are good luck: performance poets from all over the country get naughty (metaphorically) on stage.
National Poetry Slam: Prelims
At the opening rounds of the National Poetry Slam, the largest poetry slam in the world, slam teams will take the stage four at a time to battle it out for a chance to advance to semi-finals. Each weeknight represents a double-header poetry slam extravaganza, featuring teams from all over the U.S. and Canada.
Poets will perform individually or in groups, using all the skills of storytelling, hip-hop, stand-up-comedy, lyricism, political diatribe, playwriting, and cold hard poetry. The whole premise of slam is to bring poetry to the masses, so judges are selected randomly from the audience… Which means that even if you aren’t a poet, you could be part of the show!
National Poetry Slam: Erotica Reading
The National Poetry Slam is the largest team poetry slam in the world and the definitive showcase for competitive performance poetry. The week-long festival also serves as a showcase and workshop meet-up, all celebrating the dynamic oral tradition slam has fostered. At the Erotica Reading, poets from all over the country will get down and dirty after the work of the day’s competition is over.
Poetry has long been known as the language of love: from the ancient poetry of pre-feudal Japan to the heart-fold notes from a high school sweetheart you’ve probably still got stashed in your underwear drawer, poetry of all kinds has a reputation for drawing a line straight from the mind to the heart. At the late-night Erotica Reading at the National Poetry Slam, however, poets will be drawing that line a little further south. Open to all readers with all-star spotlights. Hosted by April Ranger & TBA.
Admission to the show is complementary with a Festival Pass. For more information about the week-long competition and festival, please visit here.
Notable dates