Other Reads: Daily Reads | Recommended | Audio | Genres | Newspaper Submissions

YWP Slams I

Submitted by ggevalt on Mon, 09/27/2010 - 6:40pm

October Slam to be held NOVEMBER 5, 7-9, YWP at the Mill, Champlain Mill in Winooski. All ages. Dramatic reading during break.

So here are some of the pictures from the YWP Slams I, the first of our monthly slams to be held at YWP and other locations during the year. Fantastic first show, 34 people, 10 slammers, one mean judge (just joking). Zach got first place (Reese's Peanut Butter Cup), Qwerty second or third (3 Musketeers) and Usagi second or third (Butterfinger).

Click on the keyword slam to see some of the words... I will be posting audio as I get to it. All photos by YWP UberIntern Kate Fallone. Apologies to Nathan; the dog ate your picture.

View the full image MC Bailyrae View the full image Magz Videoizes View the full image Qwerty leads View the full image Kayla View the full image Izziey View the full image NonSequitur View the full image Sophia View the full image wingpoet View the full image Slam fashion View the full image An Usagi comma View the full image Zach View the full image Ashley View the full image Writing feverishly View the full image From the crowd View the full image Planning View the full image A gathering of poets View the full image Zach II View the full image Usagi II View the full image Sophia II View the full image Qwerty II MC Bailyrae	Magz Videoizes	Qwerty leads	Kayla
Izziey	NonSequitur	Sophia	wingpoet
Slam fashion	An Usagi comma	Zach	Ashley
Writing feverishly	From the crowd	Planning	A gathering of poets
Zach II	Usagi II	Sophia II	Qwerty II

ggevalt's blog
Login or register to post comments

video-

Submitted by Magzdoodle on Mon, 09/27/2010 - 7:41pm.

I can't guarantee for sure when the video will be ready...I need to edit and such, which I feel like I won't be able to do until this weekend. I'll try to work on it soon though...Sorry if that's inconvenient :/

magz...

Submitted by ggevalt on Mon, 09/27/2010 - 10:45pm.

not to worry...

Sheesh...

Submitted by NonSequitur on Mon, 09/27/2010 - 10:59pm.

Is that what I look like? :P

Lovely pictures overall. The lighting system in there is superb.

___________________________________________
"The opposite of war isn't peace, it's creation."

I like these

Submitted by Qwerty on Tue, 09/28/2010 - 5:14pm.

I like these pictures!
...my hair looked good that night.

____________________
-Qwerty

Slam

Submitted by DigiScribe on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 6:57pm.

Are spots still open for the nov. 5 slam? I real want to do it. I am made for things like this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If it's better to give then to receive, then whenever you give, you make someone else receive, so which one is worse?
-Sheldon Ward

Digi--

Submitted by Qwerty on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 6:59pm.

We don't really do spots... You pretty much just get there & write your name on the list. So, show up! It's really fun :).

____________________
-Qwerty

Slam

Submitted by DigiScribe on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 7:02pm.

YAY! Is that what you do to compete? I wish the slam was in a more central location. the kids in east new hampshire will have a hard time getting there

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If it's better to give then to receive, then whenever you give, you make someone else receive, so which one is worse?
-Sheldon Ward

We're working on having them

Submitted by Qwerty on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 7:10pm.

We're working on having them at other venues too... These are just the first ones, so we're having them at home.

____________________
-Qwerty

what,

Submitted by warriorkitten on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 7:08pm.

what exaclty is a slam? it looks like lots of fun, somthing id do, but have never done.

(\ (\
( -.-)
○_(")(")

"Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.": - Jimi Hendrix

~M.TY

Slam

Submitted by DigiScribe on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 7:13pm.

It's sort of like a contest. they give topics and you have 15 minutes to write a poem.

(qwerty, did i get anywhere close?)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If it's better to give then to receive, then whenever you give, you make someone else receive, so which one is worse?
-Sheldon Ward

Slamming--

Submitted by Qwerty on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 7:14pm.

Kind of.

Not really.

So, a slam is performance poetry. Some are, like Digi mentioned, timed & prompted, but most are not. You can write about anything. You perform your piece for five judges & an audience. Each judge gives you a score on a scale from 1-10. The highest & lowest scores are omitted, the remaining three are averaged. If there's time, there's a second round.

In our most recent YWP slam, there was a timed write for the top 4 for the second round.

Sometimes the scores from the 1st & second rounds are combined, & sometimes the second score stands alone in final scoring.

It's really really fun & I would strongly recommend it.

Here are a couple examples of slams:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfTa4B7wQ_8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxsOVK4syxU

____________________
-Qwerty

Still

Submitted by DigiScribe on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 7:18pm.

I've got hundreds of poems. that shouldn't be too hard.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If it's better to give then to receive, then whenever you give, you make someone else receive, so which one is worse?
-Sheldon Ward

Especially if they have a

Submitted by Qwerty on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 7:20pm.

Especially if they have a beat.

Poems with beats are usually the most easily slammed. I wish I could find a video of Bailyraee slamming. She's got a knack for the whole "beat" thing & it's really quite amazing.

____________________
-Qwerty

Beats aren't necessary,

Submitted by Geist on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 7:31pm.

Beats aren't necessary, though.

I think performance is the central aspect here, with words, and noise if necessary.

Geist--

Submitted by Qwerty on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 7:34pm.

But of course.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2X0yV5Dgok

Let's not forget that.

____________________
-Qwerty

how

Submitted by warriorkitten on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 7:20pm.

how long do the poems have to be? is there a certain time or length? do you have to make it up as you go or do you write it and read it?

(\ (\
( -.-)
○_(")(")

"Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.": - Jimi Hendrix

~M.TY

You can really do

Submitted by Qwerty on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 7:22pm.

You can really do anything.

As long as it is under three minutes. After three minutes (+ a ten second grace period), points start being subtracted.

In a really competitive slam, like the nationals, you have to memorize your piece. But for our little YWP slams, you can read off of something.

____________________
-Qwerty

Yes

Submitted by DigiScribe on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 7:25pm.

All of my poems rhyme and have a beat. this should be fun!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If it's better to give then to receive, then whenever you give, you make someone else receive, so which one is worse?
-Sheldon Ward

Writing

Submitted by DigiScribe on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 7:34pm.

I find it impossible to write by hand. I just use a computer. (That's why they call me digiscribe.) as I got older my handwriting got worse and worse until i could barely write a sentence without cramping. could i bring my laptop to the slam?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If it's better to give then to receive, then whenever you give, you make someone else receive, so which one is worse?
-Sheldon Ward

Digi--

Submitted by Qwerty on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 7:36pm.

Sure, but, YWP also has an entire Mac lab with like, 13 really really shiny computers.

Just sayin'.

____________________
-Qwerty

yay!

Submitted by warriorkitten on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 7:55pm.

yay! shiny things. jk.

but seriously. it sounds like so much fun. where is it?

(\ (\
( -.-)
○_(")(")

"Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.": - Jimi Hendrix

~M.TY

YWP Headquarters, it is in

Submitted by Qwerty on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 8:12pm.

YWP Headquarters, it is in the basement of the Champlain Mill in Winooski:
1 Main st
Winooski, VT 05404

It's amazingly fantastic, you should definitely try to make it.

____________________
-Qwerty

alright

Submitted by DigiScribe on Wed, 10/13/2010 - 8:13pm.

Ok, see you there! i know what poems to bring.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If it's better to give then to receive, then whenever you give, you make someone else receive, so which one is worse?
-Sheldon Ward

Digiscribe

Submitted by Special on Thu, 10/21/2010 - 11:15pm.

This is slightly unrelated.

I believe sins are written in pen. Whiteout can be applied; one can try to cover them up, but they're still there. They stay there.

Great

Submitted by DigiScribe on Sat, 10/23/2010 - 12:03pm.

Great point speicial!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If it's better to give then to receive, then whenever you give, you make someone else receive, so which one is worse?
-Sheldon Ward

Compete

Submitted by DigiScribe on Wed, 10/20/2010 - 4:53pm.

so how do you enter to compete?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If it's better to give then to receive, then whenever you give, you make someone else receive, so which one is worse?
-Sheldon Ward

You show up.

Submitted by Usagi on Thu, 10/21/2010 - 9:18pm.

You show up. The MC'll direct you to a piece of paper by the door, where you write your name. All the names are put into a hat or hatlike object and drawn one by one to determine the slam order.

so

Submitted by DigiScribe on Fri, 10/22/2010 - 5:55pm.

so no matter what you're in the slam?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If it's better to give then to receive, then whenever you give, you make someone else receive, so which one is worse?
-Sheldon Ward

Pretty much.

Submitted by Qwerty on Sat, 10/23/2010 - 11:20am.

Pretty much.

____________________
-Qwerty

So

Submitted by DigiScribe on Sat, 10/23/2010 - 6:38pm.

so why are they dividied into chocolate bars?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If it's better to give then to receive, then whenever you give, you make someone else receive, so which one is worse?
-Sheldon Ward

Digi--

Submitted by Qwerty on Sat, 10/23/2010 - 6:39pm.

What do you mean?

____________________
-Qwerty

The

Submitted by DigiScribe on Sat, 10/23/2010 - 6:42pm.

the places. like you got 3 muskateers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If it's better to give then to receive, then whenever you give, you make someone else receive, so which one is worse?
-Sheldon Ward

Digi--

Submitted by Qwerty on Sat, 10/23/2010 - 6:43pm.

Well, those are the people that won.

Each poem is scored by 5 judges on a scale of 1-10. The highest & lowest scores are omitted, the middle three averaged.

____________________
-Qwerty

OH!

Submitted by DigiScribe on Sat, 10/23/2010 - 6:47pm.

now i see! the lowest and hihest scores for that poem! I thought it was the whole thing!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If it's better to give then to receive, then whenever you give, you make someone else receive, so which one is worse?
-Sheldon Ward

YWP Slams I

MC Bailyrae

Magz Videoizes

Qwerty leads

Kayla

Izziey

NonSequitur

Sophia

wingpoet

Slam fashion

An Usagi comma

Zach

Ashley

Writing feverishly

From the crowd

Planning

A gathering of poets

Zach II

Usagi II

Sophia II

Qwerty II

Comment viewing options

Recent Blogs

Recent comments

Tags by genre

Recent Podcasts

Writers to Read

Who's online

Who's new

Are you a YWP fan?