Slam Poetry with passion Introduction Spoken word artist

Slam Poetry with passion

Introduction: • Spoken word artist Lemon Andersen begins today’s talk with the poem, “Please Don't Take My Air Jordans, ” written by Reg E. Gaines in 1994. • Pay attention to what he does or says that creates power and impact behind Gaines’ poem.

Definition & Background • Slam combines movement, voice, drama and the written word for an unforgettable spoken word experience. • Slam began in the late 1980’s (1985) in Chicago when a local poet named Marc Smith grew tired of the stale presentations of poetry • Smith started a poetry reading series at a Chicago jazz club • The Story: • In 1986 Smith approached Dave Jemilo, the owner of the Green Mill (a Chicago jazz club and former haunt of Al Capone), with a plan to host a weekly poetry cabaret on the club's slow Sunday nights. Jemilo welcomed him, and on July 25, the Uptown Poetry Slam was born. Smith drew on baseball and bridge terminology for the name, and instituted the show’s basic structure of an open mike, guest performers, and a competition. The Green Mill evolved into the Mecca for performance poets, and the Uptown Poetry Slam still continues 18 years after its inception. • Danley, Gayle. "Become a Slam Poet in Five Steps - Gayle Danley. " TED-ED: Lessons Worth Sharing. Ed. Godfrey Hibbert, Jeremiah Dickey, and Pages D. Matam. TED Conferences, LLC, n. d. Web. 26 May 2015. <http: //ed. ted. com/lessons/become-a-slam-poet-in-five-steps-gayledanley#digdeeper>.

Definition & Background cont. • Slam was born as a way of expressing oneself briefly, powerfully, and with impact. • From The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Slam Poetry: “The experimenters in this new style of poetry presentation gyrated, rotated, spewed, and stepped their words along the bar top, dancing between the bottles, bellowing out the backdoor, standing on the street or on their stools, turning the west side of Chicago into a rainforest of dripping whispers or a blast furnace of fiery elongated syllables, phrases, snatches of scripts, and verse that electrified the night” (slampapi. com). • Marc, Smith Kelly. "Poetry Slam: Background, History, Timeline. " Poetry Slam: Background, History, Timeline. Slampapi. com, n. d. Web. 26 May 2015. <http: //www. slampapi. com/new_site/background. htm>.

How Does One Become a Slam Poet?

Ms. Flood’s Picks • Neil Hilborn - "OCD" https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=vn. KZ 4 pd. SU-s • Rebecca Mae—”Dear God of Hiccups” • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=ky. AJqyii 0_o • Miranda Tellis— “Society’s Box” • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Vspa-VGqd. Sc • Anis Mojgani—”Shake the Dust” • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=0 q. Dt. Hdlo. K 44 • Marshall “Soulful” Jones—”Touchscreen” • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=k. FX 2 Lr. NE 3 VI • Rhiannon Mc. Gavin—”Smile” • https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=t. CC-O 9 BFahs

SLAM Poetry Rubric Poetry Slam Oral Presentation Rubric Poetry slam presentations allow students to read their own poems with emotion, gestures, body language, and facial expressions. Typically, the poet will have his/her poem totally memorized and will be able to present from memory; while you do not have to memorize your poem, obvious rehearsal is an expectation of this activity. Do the absolute best you can! Note cards are acceptable if necessary. Categories & Criteria 4 3 2 1 Eye Contact Addressing the audience. Glancing down briefly—not reading. Delivery Pronunciation, volume, diction Verbal Cues Pitch, rhythm variation, intentional pauses. Non-Verbal Cues Gestures, facial expressions, body language. Enthusiasm Positive energy, speaking animatedly, avoiding monotone. Planning/Preparation Showing rehearsal and practice. Planning is very evident. Poem Title Poetry Slam Assessment Total -- -- -- ______/25

Show Me More! • Sarah Kay: A performing poet since she was 14 years old, Sarah Kay is the founder of Project VOICE, an organization that uses spoken word poetry as a literacy and empowerment tool.

Show Me More! • http: //blog. ted. com/10 -spoken-word-performances-foldedlike-lyrical-origami/