I love slam poetry. The good stuff with some poignant swearing, double entendre and a clear message.
There are poets I know, who shall remain nameless, that don’t view slam poetry as real “poetry.” Poetry is something of academia, movements…LITERARY. Slam is viewed as some sort of bastardized child that resulted from the one night that poetry broke up with nonfiction for a night and slept with rap.
I don’t view it that way. I think poetry took some lovers (and shit, why WOULDN’T it): hip hop, soul, R&B, civil rights, gay rights, women’s rights, and stayed friends after. Birthed a few beatniks and revolutionaries; true poets wandering the line of nonfictional storytelling, musical expression, and filmic scene. Mudblood poets who deserve their full birthright. I think montage and monologue got a lot of action, too. Is there any shame in that? I don’t think so.
Do I have a point? Well, not particularly during these wee hours of the morning, but I will say this, poetry is poetry, whether it sits on the page or comes writhing out of our lips in front of a crowd.
Check out these links and go see The Whirlwind Company perform here in Spokane on April 13th.
"I think poetry took some lovers (and shit, why WOULDN’T it): hip hop, soul, R&B, civil rights, gay rights, women’s rights, and stayed friends after." THIS is a great line. And I agree with you. I mean, slam poetry is powerful, and emotional. For me it's like being at a really good poetry reading, right, when the author is an amazing reader (like you are, Brigs). That shit stays with you. I'll check out the links. I've listened to Lauren Zuniga a little, and Sonya Renee, and those two women made a fan of me for sure.
ReplyDeletePreach!
ReplyDelete