Sedona Poetry Slam is today at 7:30 p.m.

Sedona's Studio Live hosts a poetry slam today, Saturday, Dec. 1, starting at 7:30 p.m. featuring poet Jordan Ranft, of Santa Rosa, Calif., and hosted by Sedona poet Christopher Fox Graham.

Tickets are $12

All poets are welcome to compete for the $75 grand prize and $25 second-place prize. The prize is funded in part by a donation from Verde Valley poetry supporter Jeanne Freeland.

The slam is the third of the 2012-13 season, which will culminate in selection of Sedona's second National Poetry Slam Team, the foursome and alternate who will represent the city at the National Poetry Slam in Boston and Cambridge, Mass., in August.

The local poets will share the stage with 300 of the top poets in the United States, Canada and Europe, pouring out their words in a weeklong explosion of expression. Sedona sent its five-poet first team to the 2012 National Poetry Slam in Charlotte, N.C.

Jordan Ranft

Jordan Ranft, of Santa Rosa, Calif., features at the Sedona Poetry Slam at
Studio Live on Saturday, Dec. 1.

Ranft loves poetry. He loves writing it, and he loves performing it. In the few years he has been practicing his craft he has taken the scene by storm. First starting performance career out in Colorado Jordan placed several times at the Mercury Cafe Slam in Denver.

Now residing in northern California he has performed all over the San Francisco Bay rea, won multiple slams, and has featured at several big events including the Northbay Poetry Slam, Desert Rocks Music Festival and the San Francisco How Weird Street fair. He derives his poetry from personal struggle and growth. His main goal is to be true to himself while putting on the most entertaining show he possibly can.

Sedona Poetry Slam

Poets need at least three original poems, each three minutes long or shorter. No props, costumes or musical accompaniment are permitted. All types of poetry are welcome.

The slam will be hosted by Graham, who represented Northern Arizona on six FlagSlam National Poetry Slams in 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010 and 2012.

Charles Levett, Joy Young, The Klute, Lynn Gravatt, Evan Dissinger, Jackson Morris, Tyler Sirvinskas aka Valence, Jasmine Wilkerson Sufi, Leo Bryant, Ryan Brown, Joshua Wiss, Lauren Perry, Maya Hall, Jeremiah Blue and Ian are scheduled to slam.

What is Poetry Slam?

Founded in Chicago in 1984, poetry slam is a competitive artistic sport. Poetry slams are judged by five randomly chosen members of the audience who assign numerical value to individual poets' contents and performances.

Poetry slam has become an international artistic sport, with more than 100 major poetry slams in the United States, Canada, Australia and Western Europe.

All types of poetry are welcome on the stage, from street-wise hip-hop and narrative performance poems, to political rants and introspective confessionals. Any poem is a "slam" poem if performed in a competition. All poets get three minutes per round to entertain their audience with their creativity.

2013 Sedona National Poetry Slam Team

Competing poets earn points with each Sedona Poetry Slam performance between September and May. Every poet earns 1 point for performing or hosting. First place earns 3 additional points, second place earns 2 and third place earns 1.

Based on points, the top 12 poets in May are eligible to compete for the four slots on the Sedona Poetry Slam Team, which will represent the community and Studio Live at the 2013 National Poetry Slam in Boston. Poets can compete for multiple teams during a season and still be eligible to compete in the Sedona team.

For poetry slam standings, videos from past slams, and updates, visit foxthepoet.blogspot.com.

Tickets are $12 the day of the event, at the door and online at studiolivesedona.com.

Studio Live is located at 215 Coffee Pot Drive, West Sedona. For more information, call (928) 282-2688.