Ryan Brown wins the first 2012-13 Sedona Poetry Slam

Photo by Tara Graeber

Ryan Brown, of Flagstaff, wins the Oct. 13, 2012 Sedona Poetry Slam.

Ryan Brown wins the first Sedona Poetry Slam of the 2012-13 National Poetry Slam Season, held Oct. 13, 2012.

Round 1
Random Draw

Calibration: Jackie Stockwell, of Flagstaff

Lynn Gravatt, of Sedona, 18.7, 1:40
Ryan Brown, of Flagstaff, 25.9, 3:03
The Klute, of Phoenix, 23.2, 2:06
Lauren Deja, of Phoenix, 24.8, 2:13
Evan Dissinger, of Flagstaff, 24.1, 2:43
Bert Cisneros, of Cottonwood, 23.7, 1:33
Ashley Swazey, of Phoenix, 24.8, 1:55
Rowie Shebala, of Phoenix, 23.0, 2:45
Little Blue Lyon-Fish, of Phoenix, 22.9, 2:39
Austin Reeves, of Flagstaff, 23.6, 2:29
Vincent Vega, of Flagstaff, 25.1, 2:22
Lauren Perry, of Phoenix, 23.8, 23.3 after 0.5 time penalty, 3:13
Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff/Phoenix, 25.3, 1:59

Sorbet: Christopher Fox Graham, of Sedona, "The Golden Record"

Round 2
Reverse Order

Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff/Phoenix, 26.5, 1:39, 51.8
Lauren Perry, of Phoenix, 26.4, 2:30, 49.7
Vincent Vega, of Flagstaff, 22.5, 1:51, 47.6
Austin Reeves, of Flagstaff, 23.0, 2:53, 46.6
Little Blue Lyon-Fish, of Phoenix, 26.2, 2:55, 49.1
Rowie Shebala, of Phoenix, 26.2, 2:04, 49.2
Ashley Swazey, of Phoenix, 26.8., 28.3 after 0.5 time penalty, 3:17, 51.1
Bert Cisneros, of Cottonwood, 25.5, 1:56, 49.2
Evan Dissinger, of Flagstaff, 26.4, 2:32, 50.5
Lauren Deja, of Phoenix, 25.8, 2:46, 50.6
The Klute, of Phoenix, 29.5, 2:34, 52.7
Ryan Brown, of Flagstaff, 28.6, 2:43, 54.5
Lynn Gravatt, of Sedona, 25.3, 1:23, 44.0

Photo by Tara Graeber

Nodalone, of Las Vegas, featured at the Oct. 13, 2012 Sedona Poetry Slam.

Feature: Nodalone, of Las Vegas, Nev.

Sorbet: Charles Levett, of Phoenix

Round 3
High to Low

Ryan Brown, of Flagstaff, 27.0, 2:06, 81.5
The Klute, of Phoenix, 26.3, 1:22, 79.0
Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff/Phoenix, 26.6, 1:47, 78.4
Ashley Swazey, of Phoenix, 26.0, 2:21, 77.1
Lauren Deja, of Phoenix, 25.4, 1:54, 76.0

Sorbet: Jeremiah Blue, of Phoenix

Victory: Ryan Brown, of Flagstaff

Final Scores

1 Ryan Brown, of Flagstaff, 81.5
2 The Klute, of Phoenix, 79.0
3 Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff/Phoenix, 78.4
4 Ashley Swazey, of Phoenix, 77.1
5 Lauren Deja, of Phoenix, 76.0

6 Evan Dissinger, of Flagstaff, 50.5
7 Lauren Perry, of Phoenix,  49.7
8 Rowie Shebala, of Phoenix, 49.2
8 Bert Cisneros, of Cottonwood,  49.2
10 Little Blue Lyon-Fish, of Phoenix,  49.1
11 Vincent Vega, of Flagstaff, 47.6
12 Austin Reeves, of Flagstaff,  46.6
13 Lynn Gravatt, of Sedona,  44.0

Scorekeeper and camerawoman: Azami

Sedona National Poetry Slam Team
Slamoff Point Standings
4 points
Ryan Brown, of Flagstaff✓
3 points
The Klute, of Phoenix
2 points
Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff/Phoenix
1 point
Jeremiah Blue, of Phoenix*

Bert Cisneros, of Cottonwood
Lauren Deja, of Phoenix
Evan Dissinger, of Flagstaff
Christopher Fox Graham, of Sedona
Lynn Gravatt, of Sedona
Charles Levett, of Phoenix*
Little Blue Lyon-Fish, of Phoenix
nodalone, of Las Vegas
Lauren Perry, of Phoenix
Austin Reeves, of Flagstaff
Rowie Shebala, of Phoenix
Ashley Swazey, of Phoenix
Vincent Vega, of Flagstaff
0.5 points
Jackie Stockwell, of Flagstaff

✓ = won a Sedona Poetry Slam
*=Due to a communication error that was totally my fault, these two poets contacted me early enough to slam, as such and in deferrence to their dedication, they earn a full participation point for this slam.

First three slams of the 2012-13 Sedona Poetry Slam Season

2012-13 Sedona Poetry Slam Season

• Saturday, October 13
  Feature: Nodalone, Las Vegas, Nev.
• Saturday, November 17
  Feature: Houston Hughes, Fayetteville, Ark. 
• Saturday, December  1
  Feature: Jordan Ranft, Santa Rosa, Calif.

Buy your tickets now for the Sedona Poetry Slam on Saturday, Oct. 13

Buy your tickets now for the Sedona Poetry Slam on Saturday, Oct. 13

Click here to buy your tickets now.

Sedona's Studio Live hosts a poetry slam Saturday, Oct. 13, starting at 7:30 p.m. featuring Las Vegas poet Nodalone and hosted by Sedona poet Christopher Fox Graham.

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 first 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. (Assuming, of course, the Mayans don't destroy the world in December 2012. Or the  Québécois in January 2013. If you thought the Mayan calendar was apocalyptic, just wait until the Québécois get their shot ....)

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.

Nodalone

Nodalone - Shaun Srivistava - is the first featured poet of the Sedona
Poetry Slam Season. Nodalone will feature Saturday, Oct. 13.

Nodalone — born Shaun Srivastava — is a spoken word artist currently residing in Las Vegas. While quietly writing for years, Nodalone began performing his work in late 2010 in Flagstaff. Ever since, the poet has continued to bring his poems to life on stage at slams and various events throughout the country.

Preferring to use his platform to address current political, cultural and social issues, Nodalone gives a performance that captures the power of the issue with a personal and passionate style.

Nodalone is the 2011 FlagSlam Grand Slam Champion and a member of both the 2011 and 2012 FlagSlam National Poetry Slam Teams.

He prefers hugs to handshakes, and is a raging baby animal enthusiast.

Sedona Poetry Slam

To compete in the 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.

Contact Graham at foxthepoet@yahoo.com to sign up 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

Last year, five poets represented Sedona at the week-long National
Poetry Slam in Charlotte, N.C. In August 2013, NPS will be held in
Boston and Cambridge, Mass. Will you be among them? Or will you
help choose who represents Red Rock Country in Beantown?

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 $10 in advance and $12 the day of the event, available  online at studiolivesedona.com.

Click here to buy your tickets now.

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

Nodalone features at the Sedona Poetry Slam on Saturday, Oct. 13

Nodalone features at the Sedona Poetry Slam on Saturday, Oct. 13

Sedona's Studio Live hosts a poetry slam Saturday, Oct. 13, starting at 7:30 p.m. featuring Las Vegas poet Nodalone and hosted by Sedona poet Christopher Fox Graham.

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 first 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. (Assuming, of course, the Mayans don't destroy the world in December 2012. Or the  Québécois in January 2013. If you thought the Mayan calendar was apocalyptic, just wait until the Québécois get their shot ....)

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.

Nodalone

Nodalone - Shaun Srivistava - is the first featured poet of the SedonaPoetry Slam Season.
Nodalone will feature Saturday, Oct. 13.

Nodalone — born Shaun Srivastava — is a spoken word artist currently residing in Las Vegas. While quietly writing for years, Nodalone began performing his work in late 2010 in Flagstaff. Ever since, the poet has continued to bring his poems to life on stage at slams and various events throughout the country.

Preferring to use his platform to address current political, cultural and social issues, Nodalone gives a performance that captures the power of the issue with a personal and passionate style.

Nodalone is the 2011 FlagSlam Grand Slam Champion and a member of both the 2011 and 2012 FlagSlam National Poetry Slam Teams.

He prefers hugs to handshakes, and is a raging baby animal enthusiast.

Sedona Poetry Slam

To compete in the 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.

Contact Graham at foxthepoet@yahoo.com to sign up 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 $10 in advance and $12 the day of the event, available at Golden Word Books and Music, 3150 W. SR 89A, and online at studiolivesedona.com.

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

FlagSlam Poetry Slam, round two

Total Scores

Team	Rank	Score
Slam Nahuatl, Richmond, Va.	1	114.3
Louder ARTS, Union Square, Manhattan, N.Y.	2	112.8
Seattle Poetry Slam, Seattle, Wash.	3	109.1
FlagSlam, Flagstaff, Ariz.	4	107

Rotation: 1

Team	Performer	Group	Score
Seattle Poetry Slam	Roma Raye		27.30
FlagSlam	Ryan Brown: "Goodbye"		26.60
Slam Nahuatl		Group	27.60
Louder ARTS	Catalina Ferro		26.80

Rotation: 2

Team	Performer	Group	Score
Slam Nahuatl	Rob Gibson		29.00
Seattle Poetry Slam	Rose McAleese		26.50
Louder ARTS		Group	29.00
FlagSlam	Christopher Fox Graham & Tara Pollock: "Dust (In the Corners of this Room)	Group	25.80

Rotation: 3

Team	Performer	Group	Score
Seattle Poetry Slam	Amber Flame		27.00
Louder ARTS	Jamaal VS May		27.80
Slam Nahuatl		Group	29.60
FlagSlam	Jackson Morris: "Education in America"		27.50

Rotation: 4

Team	Performer	Group	Score
FlagSlam	Nodalone: "Identicals"		27.10
Louder ARTS	Megan Falley		29.20
Seattle Poetry Slam	Sara Brickman		28.30
Slam Nahuatl		Group	28.10

FlagSlam Poetry Slam, round one

Total Scores

Team	Rank	Score
Nuyorican, Lower East Side of Manhattan, N.Y.	1	106.4
HawaiiSlam, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawai'i	2	103.8
FlagSlam, Flagstaff, Ariz.	3	101.4
Lake Effect, Cleveland, Ohio	4	94.3

Rotation: 1

Team	Performer	Group	Score
Lake Effect		Group	20.70
HawaiiSlam	Tui-Z		24.40
Nuyorican	Jamaal St. John		25.80
FlagSlam	Christopher Fox Graham & Ryan Brown: "Dear Pluto"	Group	25.40 (Down by 0.4)

Rotation: 2

Team	Performer	Group	Score
Nuyorican	Falu		23.80 (49.6)
Lake Effect	Cory Mikesell		24.30 (45.0)
FlagSlam	Ryan Brown: "Justino"		26.40 (51.8 - in the lead by 2.2!)
HawaiiSlam	Ink		25.30 (49.7)

Rotation: 3

Team	Performer	Group	Score
FlagSlam	Tara Pollock: "Acceptance"		24.70 (76.5)
Nuyorican	Rico Frederick		28.50 (78.1)
HawaiiSlam	Liam Skilling		26.30 (76.0)
Lake Effect	Sarah Skylark Bruce		22.80 (67.8)

Rotation: 4

Team	Performer	Group	Score
HawaiiSlam	Sterling Higa		27.80 (103.8)
FlagSlam	Christopher Fox Graham & nodalone: "Babies"	Group	24.90 (101.4)
Lake Effect	Carla Thompson		26.50 (94.3)
Nuyorican	Cyn		28.30 (106.4)

The 2012 Sedona Poetry Grand Slam is coming Saturday, June 16

The biggest, most energetic poetry event to hit Sedona is coming to the Mary D. Fisher Theatre at 7 p.m., Saturday, June 16:

The 2012 Sedona Poetry Grand Slam.

Tickets are $15. Click here to buy your tickets now.
Proceeds help the team get to nationals

The top 12 slam poets in Arizona will compete in three rounds in front five judges randomly selected from the audience who assign numerical value to individual performances.

At the end of the night, the top four poets will represent Sedona at the weeklong National Poetry Slam in Charlotte, N.C., in August. There, Sedona’s four representatives will compete against more than 350 of the best performance poets from the United States and Canada. At nationals, poets perform both solo and group poems, creating complex, dynamic performances.

For the last sixth months, poets from all over Arizona have been competing in Sedona, earning points for the Sedona Poetry Grand Slam. Only the top 12 of the nearly 50 competitors made the cut for this invitation-only contest.

Poetry slam is unlike any other poetry event you’ve ever seen. Slam poetry isn’t enigmatic and esoteric like in a college literature class with rhyme and meter, but an energetic blend of spoken word, theater and performance art.

In each three-minute performance of their original work, poets aim to make audiences laugh, cheer, cry or get chills down their spines. The performers are not permitted to use props, costumes or musical accompaniment, relying instead on their own words and inflections.

Poems range from explosively humorous to deeply personal to wryly political, with styles from hip-hop to narrative storytelling. All types of poetry are welcome. Audience reaction is just as important to a high score as the poetry itself, so the crowd is encouraged to not remain silent, but cheer, boo and engage with the poets’ on stage.

The Sedona Poetry Grand Slam competitors (in alphabetical order):

• Evan Dissinger is one of the preeminent voices in the Flagstaff poetry scene. A skateboard rat in Flagstaff, Dissinger is one of the most sincere poets in Arizona with a knack for making conventional experiences sublime.
• Lauren Hanss is one of the strong female voices in Flagstaff. An early education and creative writing student at NAU, Hanss is respected for her honest, confessional poetry.
• Known for his political savvy and humorous poetry, The Klute performs all over the United States and Canada and featured at the Poetry Slam and the Sedona Public Library. A seasoned veteran, The Klute has been to the National Poetry Slam seven times, for the Mesa Slam Team in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006, and the Phoenix Slam Team in 2008, 2009 and 2010. He also won the grand slams in 2005 and 2010.
• A poet’s poet, Frank O’Brien writes with a profound simplicity. O’Brien won the 2008 and 2009 Flagstaff Grand Slams, and competed at three national poetry slams from 2008 to 2010.
• A veteran national competitor, Lauren Perry competed at the National Poetry Slam with the Mesa Poetry Slam Team in 2006, 2009 and 2010. She also proudly represented Sedona at the 2012 Women of the World Poetry Slam in Denver.
• Kaye Pettit is a powerful female voice on the Flagstaff stage. A psychology major at NAU, she one of the most consistent performers in the scene.
• Austin Reeves is an up-and-coming voice in both Sedona and Flagstaff. A coffee-loving creative writing student at NAU, Reeves has already made an impact, taking second at the last Sedona Poetry Slam in May.
• Beginning in Flagstaff in 2005, Rowie Shebala has slammed all over Arizona. After graduating from NAU with a Bachelors of Science in Theater and a minor in English, she hosted the poetry slam in Gallup, N.M. On the national level, she competed at the 2009 Women of the World Poetry Slam in Detroit and as a member of the Mesa Slam Team in 2011.
• Tyler Sirvinskas aka Valence, was a member of the 2011 Flagstaff National Poetry Slam team. He is the top-ranked poet competing in the Sedona grand slam.
• A political science student at NAU, Spencer Troth’s introspective work brings compassion to his views of current events, such as a poem touching on the double murder outside Sedona in January. Troth will be taking his poetic voice overseas as a political science student in France next year.
• Mikel Weisser is a school teacher from Kingman, an Occupy activist and a 2012 candidate for Arizona’s Congressional District 4. In conjunction with his congressional campaign and activist activities, Weisser schedules poetry performances all over the state.
• Joshua Wiss’ infectious enthusiasm for life is evident in his energetic performances. A recent graduate of NAU with a degree in creative writing, Wiss performed at every Sedona Poetry Slam this season and is currently ranked No. 2.

Audience members are encouraged to support their favorite poets from over the season.

Photo by Harley Deuce

The Sedona Poetry Grand Slam will be hosted by Sedona poet and
slammaster Christopher Fox Graham, who represented Northern
Arizona on the Flagstaff team at five National Poetry Slams between
2001 and 2010 and recently the 2012 Flagstaff Grand Slam.

The Sedona Poetry Grand Slam will be hosted by Sedona poet and slammaster Christopher Fox Graham, who represented Northern Arizona on the Flagstaff team at five National Poetry Slams between 2001 and 2010 and recently the 2012 Flagstaff Grand Slam.

The opening calibration poem will be performed by Nodalone aka Shaun Srivastava, a two-time member of the Flagstaff National Poetry Slam Team.

For more information about the slam, contact Graham at foxthepoet@yahoo.com.

Founded in Chicago in 1984 by Marc Smith, a former construction worker, poetry slam has become an international artistic sport, with more than 100 major poetry slams in the United States, Canada, Australia and Western Europe.

Tickets are $15, available online at studiolivesedona.com. Proceeds help fund the team’s trip to Charlotte. Additional donations will gladly be accepted.

The 2012 slam season and the grand slam is cosponsored by the Sedona Performing Arts Alliance, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
The Mary D. Fisher Theatre is located at 2030 W. SR 89A, near Coffee Pot Drive in West Sedona. For more information, call (928) 282-2688. For videos from past slams and updates about the grand slam, visit foxthepoet.blogspot.com.

Christopher Fox Graham and FlagSlam poets

For the 2012-2013 Poets of FlagSlam calendar. Photos by Tara Graeber.

Photo by Tara Graeber 

Christopher Fox Graham and his poet renegades. From left, Josh Wiss has a .45-caliber pistol and 9 mm Beretta, Spencer Troth has a 9 mm H&K and a .22 Long rifle, Graham is armed with a modified WESTAR-34 blaster pistol, lightsaber, microphone and boot knife, Brian Walker has a crossbow. Azami wields a Remington 30-06 rifle, Nodalone has a Mossberg pistol-grip 12-gauge shotgun and throwing knives, Valence has a breech-loading shotgun and .45-caliber pistol and Lauren Hanss has a MP5 submachine gun.

Photo by Tara Graeber 

Christopher Fox Graham and Azami. Graham is armed with a modified WESTAR-34 blaster pistol, lightsaber, microphone and boot knife. Azami wields a Remington 30-06 rifle.

More photos coming soon ....

A brief history of FlagSlam Nationals Teams

December 2000, FlagSlam founded.

In 2001, 12th National Poetry Slam in Seattle, Wash.:
Grand Slam Champion: Josh Fleming
Nick Fox
Chris Lane
Christopher Fox Graham
Alternate: Eric “A-rek” Matthew Dye
Coach: Andy “War” Wall

After I graduated from Arizona State University and made the FlagSlam team, I moved to Flagstaff in June.

I tried out for the FlagSlam team in 2002 but pulled the "1" and got clobbered. I had already been planning the Save the Male Tour with Josh Fleming, so that was my summer instead. 

In 2002, 13th National Poetry Slam in Minneapolis, Minn.:
Grand Slam Champion: Suzy La Follette
Logan Phillips
Andy “War” Hall
Dom Flemons
Alternate: Jarrod Masseud Karimi (quit before the National Poetry Slam)
Coach and alternate: John Raymond Kofonow

First tie at NPS: New York City-Urbana and Detroit

In 2003, 14th National Poetry Slam in Chicago, Ill.:
Grand Slam Champion: Suzy La Follette
Logan Phillips
Cass Hodges
Dom Flemons
Alternate: Julie Hudgens (quit before the National Poetry Slam)
Coach and alternate: John Raymond Kofonow

I was a volunteer bout manager at NPS in 2003.

In 2004: 15th National Poetry Slam in St. Louis, Mo.:
Grand Slam Champion: Christopher Fox Graham
Eric Larson
Logan Phillips
Brent Heffron
Coaches: Mary Guaraldi, and John Raymond Kofonow

First time all four NPS finalist teams were from west of the Mississippi River (Hollywood's Da Poetry Lounge, Denver, Dallas and Berkeley). One of the worst organized NPSes due to the location of venues relative to each other and the venues in question.

In 2005: 16th National Poetry Slam in Albuquerque, N.M.:
Grand Slam Champion: Chris Lane
Logan Phillips
Christopher Fox Graham
Meghan Jones
Aaron Johnson
Coaches: Mary Guaraldi and John Raymond Kofonow

FlagSlam sent a crew of poets and supporters because Albuquerque was so close. I was also legal guardian for my ward, Sarrah Wile. One of the best organized NPSes. All venues were within walking distance of the Hotel Blue. The hotel manager lost his job for what he allowed us to do, but won the Spirit of the Slam Award.

In 2006: 17th National Poetry Slam in Austin, Texas:
Aaron Johnson
Christopher Fox Graham (kicked off team before the National Poetry Slam)
Meghan Jones (quit before the National Poetry Slam)
Justin “Biskit” Powell
Alternate: A.J. Moyer (Joined team)
Coaches: Greg Nix (quit before the National Poetry Slam) and John Raymond Kofonow (quit before the National Poetry Slam)

This year was a train wreck. Those who know why, know why. I'm glad A.J., Aaron Johnson and Biskit had a good time at NPS, though.

In 2007: 18th National Poetry Slam in Austin, Texas:
Grand Slam Champion: Joseph Nieves
Aaron Johnson
Troy Thurman
J.J. Valentine

Last year Individual Poetry Slam Championships were held at NPS. They would be held at a separate event, the Individual World Poetry Slam starting in 2008.

In 2008: 19th National Poetry Slam in Madison, Wis.:
Grand Slam Champion: Frank O'Brien
Ryan Brown
John Cartier
Jessica Guadarrama
Alternate: Kami Henderson
Coach: Dana Sakowicz

In 2009: 20th National Poetry Slam in West Palm Beach, FL.
Grand Slam Champion: Frank O'Brien
Ryan Brown
John Cartier
Andrew “Antranormus” Wanner
Jessica Guadarrama
Coach: Dana Sakowicz

In 2010: 21st National Poetry Slam in St. Paul, Minn:
Grand Slam Champion: Ryan Brown
Brian Towne
Johnny P (quit before the National Poetry Slam)
RahMahMercy (quit before the National Poetry Slam)
Frank O'Brien (Joined team in Johnny P's slot)
Christopher Fox Graham (Joined team in RahMahMercy's slot)
Alternate: Christopher Harbster (quit before the National Poetry Slam)

I was going to be a volunteer bout manager at NPS in 2010, but wound up on the team.

In 2011: 22nd National Poetry Slam in Cambridge and Boston, Mass.:
Grand Slam Champion: Shaun “nodalone” Srivastava
Maple Dewleaf
Taylor Marie “Tay” Kayonnie-Ehrlich
Christopher Harbster (quit before the National Poetry Slam)
Alternate: Tyler “Valence” Sirvinskas (Joined team)

I was a volunteer venue manager at NPS in 2011.

In 2012: 23rd National Poetry Slam in Charlotte, N.C.:
Grand Slam Champion: Christopher Fox Graham
Ryan Brown
Tara Pollock (tied)
Shaun “nodalone” Srivastava (tied)
Alternate: Jackson Morris

Photo by Tara Graeber

The 2012 FlagSlam National Poetry Slam Team: Ryan Brown, left, Grand Slam Champion Christopher Fox Graham, Shaun "Nodalone" Srivastava and Tara Pollock. Jackson Morris won the alternate's slot.

The 2012 FlagSlam National Poetry Slam Team

Photo by Tara Graeber

The 2012 FlagSlam National Poetry Slam Team: Ryan Brown, left, Grand Slam Champion Christopher Fox Graham, Shaun "Nodalone" Srivastava and Tara Pollock. Jackson Morris won the alternate's slot.

The 2012 FlagSlam National Poetry Slam Team was decided Sunday, April 29, at Sundara in Flagstaff.

Christopher Fox Graham narrowly edged out SlamMaster Ryan Brown by 0.1 for the Grand Slam Champion title. This will be Graham's sixth team (2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2012) and Brown's fourth (2008, 2009, 2010, 2012).
Coming in tied at third was rookie Tara Pollock (2012) and last year's Grand Slam Champion Shaun "Nodalone" Srivastava (2011, 2012).
Rookie Jackson Morris (2012) will be the team's alternate and coming with us to Charlotte, N.C., for the National Poetry Slam.

The five of us will publish a team chapbook later this summer to help raise funds for the trip. Reserve your copy now ....

Photo by Tara Graeber

The 2012 FlagSlam Grand Slam competitors: Tara Pollock, left, Ryan Brown, Spencer Troth, Christopher Fox Graham, Tyler "Valence" Sirvinskas, Dan Rivera (front), Evan Dissinger (back), Josh Wiss, Victoria Nancy Eakin, Shaun "Nodalone" Srivastava, Vincent Ed-Venture "Vincent Vega" Simone and Jackson Morris.

Congrats to the other Grand Slam finalists Evan Dissinger, Spencer Troth, Victoria (Nancy) Eakin, Tyler "Valence" Sirvinskas, Vincent Vega, Josh Wiss, Dan Rivera who put on a stellar competition.

The 12 of us will be appearing the Poets of FlagSlam 2012-2013 Calendar due out later this year. Reserve your copy now ....

Photo by Tara Graeber

The poets of FlagSlam video by Tara Graeber

"Stories Through Poetry," the poets of FlagSlam from Tara Graeber with additional camerawork by Naomi Thalenbergon Vimeo.

One of my favorite videos in a long time. Slam poets spitting verses in our familiar locales, off the slam stage. The music is a great addition, too.

Starring Christopher Fox Graham, Evan Dissinger, Ryan Brown, Shaun Srivastava, Mikel Weisser.

Shaun Srivastava wins the third Sedona Poetry Slam of the 2011-12 National Poetry Slam Season

Photo courtesy of Tara Graeber

Shaun Srivastava wins the third Sedona Poetry Slam of the 2011-12
National Poetry Slam Season.

Shaun Srivastava wins the third Sedona Poetry Slam of the 2011-12 National Poetry Slam Season.

Calibration: Christopher Fox Graham, of Sedona, “Poetic Babysitting”

Round 1
Random Draw
Calibration: Gary Every, of Sedona

The Klute, of Phoenix, 23.3, 22.3 after 1.0 time penalty, 3:28
Spensor Troth, of Flagstaff, 26.2, 25.2 after 1.0 time penalty, 3:25
Michelle Peterson, of Sedona, 20.2, 3:02
Lauren Perry, of Phoenix, 25.7, 2:45
Tara Pollock, of Flagstaff, 24.7, 2:42
Ryan Brown, of Flagstaff, 29.2, 3:02
Mary Elizabeth Skene, of Sedona, 25.3, 2:05
Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff, 28.4, 2:26
Rowie Shebala, of Phoenix, 25.8, 1:55
nodalone, of Flagstaff, 28.7, 2:40
Valence, of Flagstaff, 26.2, 2:46

Teaser: Aaron Johnson, of Phoenix

Round 2
Reverse Order

Valence, of Flagstaff, 23.8, 2:46, 50.0
nodalone, of Flagstaff, 27.5, 2:51, 56.2
Rowie Shebala, of Phoenix, 28.8, 2:36, 53.8
Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff, 24.6, 2:20, 53.0
Ryan Brown, of Flagstaff, 24.5, 1:25, 53.7
Tara Pollock, of Flagstaff, 26.5, 25.0 after 1.5 time penalty, 3:35, 49.7
Lauren Perry, of Phoenix, 27.3, 2:17, 53.0
Michelle Peterson, of Sedona, 25.6, 20.1 after 5.5 time penalty, 4:59, 40.3
Spensor Troth, of Flagstaff, 24.8, 3:07, 50.0
The Klute, of Phoenix, 29.5, 29.0 after 0.5 time penalty, 3:15, 51.3

Mary Elizabeth Skene, of Sedona, left the slam before round 2

Aaron Johnson, of Phoenix, was the feature poet at the Sedona Poetry
Slam on Feb. 18.

Feature: Aaron Johnson, of Phoenix

Sorbet: Sasha Anderson, of Flagstaff

Round 3
High to Low (Top 7)

nodalone, of Flagstaff, 28.7, 3:10, 84.9
Rowie Shebala, of Phoenix, 26.8, 2:52, 80.6
Ryan Brown, of Flagstaff, 29.2, 3:07, 82.9
Lauren Perry, of Phoenix, 27.8, 2:47, 80.8
Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff, 28.4, 2:24, 81.4
The Klute, of Phoenix, 29.7, 1:33, 81.0
TIE: Valence, of Flagstaff, 27.3, 1:59, 77.3
TIE: Spensor Troth, of Flagstaff, 26.5, 2:42, 76.5

Final Scores

nodalone, of Flagstaff, 84.9

Ryan Brown, of Flagstaff, 82.9

Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff, 81.4

The Klute, of Phoenix, 81.0
Lauren Perry, of Phoenix, 80.8
Rowie Shebala, of Phoenix, 80.6
Valence, of Flagstaff, 77.3
Spensor Troth, of Flagstaff, 76.5
Tara Pollock, of Flagstaff, 49.7
Michelle Peterson, of Sedona, 40.3
Mary Elizabeth Skene, of Sedona, 25.3

Women of the World Poetry Slam qualifier

Lauren Perry, of Phoenix, 80.8
Rowie Shebala, of Phoenix, 80.6
Tara Pollock, of Flagstaff, 49.7
Michelle Peterson, of Sedona, 40.3
Mary Elizabeth Skene, of Sedona, 25.3

Scorekeeper: Alun Wile
Cameramwoman: Azami

Sedona National Poetry Slam Team
Slamoff Point Standings
7 points
Ryan Brown, of Flagstaff
6 points
nodalone, of Flagstaff ✓
5 points
The Klute, of Phoenix ✓
Rowie Shebala, of Phoenix ✓
4 points
Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff
3 points
Christopher Fox Graham, of Sedona
Frank O'Brien, of Prescott
Lauren Perry, of Phoenix
Tara Pollock, of Flagstaff
2 points
Christopher Harbster, of Flagstaff
Spencer Troth, of Flagstaff
Valence, of Flagstaff
Mikel Weisser, of Kingman
1 point
Jahnilli Akbar, of New York City
Bert Cisneros, of Cottonwood
Ellenelizabeth, of Sedona
Evan Dissinger, of Flagstaff
Gabbi Jue, of Flagstaff
Jack Egan, of Sedona
Gary Every, of Sedona
Josh Goldberg, of Oak Creek Ranch School
Michelle Peterson, of Sedona
Kendra Kenj Shebala, of Flagstaff
Mary Elizabeth Skene, of Sedona
0.5 points
Sasha Anderson, of Flagstaff
Gary Bowers, of Phoenix
Danielle Silver, of Sedona
✓ = won a Sedona Poetry Slam

Rowie Shebala wins the January Sedona Poetry Slam

Rowie Shebala won the second Sedona Poetry Slam on Saturday, Jan. 7.

Rowie Shebala wins the second Sedona Poetry Slam of the 2011-12 National Poetry Slam Season.

Benediction: Christopher Fox Graham, of Sedona

Round 1
Random Draw
Calibration: Danielle Silver, of Sedona

Ellenelizabeth, of Sedona, 18.6
nodalone, of Flagstaff, 27.0
Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff, 27.0
Mikel Weisser, of Kingman, 29.0
Gabbie Jue, of Winslow, 27.6
Kendra Shebala, of Flagstaff, 25.5
Tara Pollock, of Flagstaff, 29.7
Frank O'Brien, of Prescott, 29.3, after 0.5 time penalty
Evan Dissinger, of Flagstaff, 29.2
Josh Goldberg, of Oak Creek Ranch School, 28.9
Bert Cisneros, of Cottonwood, 29.0
Christopher Harbster, , of Flagstaff, 29.0
Rowie Shebala, of Phoenix, 30.0

Sorbet: Ryan Brown, of Flagstaff

Round 2
Reverse Order

Rowie Shebala, of Phoenix, 29.4, 59.4
Christopher Harbster, of Flagstaff, 27.8, 56.8
Bert Cisneros, of Cottonwood, 28.8, 57.8
Josh Goldberg, of Oak Creek Ranch School, 27.6, 56.5
Evan Dissinger, of Flagstaff, 28.2, after 1.5 time penalty, 57.2
Frank O'Brien, of Prescott, 29.7, 59.0
Tara Pollock, of Flagstaff, 28.7, after 1.0 time penalty, 58.4
Kendra Shebala, of Flagstaff, 27.4, 52.9
Gabbie Jue, of Winslow, 28.4, 56.0
Mikel Weisser, of Kingman, 28.7, after 1.0 time penalty, 57.7
Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff, 30.0, 57.0
nodalone, of Flagstaff, 29.1, 56.1
Ellenelizabeth, of Sedona, 25.3, 43.9

Ryan Brown, of Flagstaff, featured at the
Sedona Poetry Slam on Jan. 7.

Feature: Ryan Brown, of Flagstaff

Sorbet: Gary Bowers, of Phoenix

Round 3
High to Low (Top 7)

Rowie Shebala, of Phoenix, 29.4, 88.8
Frank O'Brien, of Prescott, 29.5, 88.5
Tara Pollock, of Flagstaff, 28.9, 87.3
Bert Cisneros, of Cottonwood, 29.1, 86.9
Mikel Weisser, of Kingman, 26.5, after 3.5 time penalty, 84.2
Evan Dissinger, of Flagstaff, 29.6, 86.8
Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff, 29.8, 86.8

Final Scores

Rowie Shebala, of Phoenix, 88.8
Frank O'Brien, of Prescott, 88.5
Tara Pollock, of Flagstaff, 87.3
Bert Cisneros, of Cottonwood, 86.9
TIE: Evan Dissinger, of Flagstaff, 86.8
TIE: Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff, 86.8
Mikel Weisser, of Kingman, 84.2


Christopher Harbster, of Flagstaff, 56.8
Josh Goldberg, of Oak Creek Ranch School, 56.5Kendra Shebala, of Flagstaff, 52.9
Gabbie Jue, of Winslow, 56.0
nodalone, of Flagstaff, 56.1Ellenelizabeth, of Sedona, 43.9

Sedona National Poetry Slam Team

Slamoff Point Standings

4 points
Ryan Brown, of Flagstaff
The Klute, of Phoenix
Rowie Shebala, of Phoenix
 3 points
Frank O'Brien, of Prescott

2 points
Christopher Fox Graham, of Sedona
Christopher Harbster, of Flagstaff
Lauren Perry, of Phoenix
Tara Pollock, of Flagstaff
Mikel Weisser, of Kingman
nodalone, of Flagstaff
Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff
1 point
Bert Cisneros, of Cottonwood
Ellenelizabeth, of Sedona
Evan Dissinger, of Flagstaff
Gabbi Jue, of Flagstaff
Jack Egan, of Sedona
Jahnilli Akbar, of New York City
Josh Goldberg, of Oak Creek Ranch School
Kendra Kenj Shebala, of Flagstaff
Spencer Troth, of Flagstaff
Valence, of Flagstaff
 0.5 points

Danielle Silver, of Sedona
Gary Bowers, of Phoenix
Gary Every, of Sedona

nodalone performs in the first round of the Sedona Poetry Slam, 12-3-2011

nodalone performs in the first round of the Sedona Poetry Slam on Dec. 3, 2011

Photo by Tara Graeber

Shaun Srivastava, aka nodalone, was a member
of the 2011 Flagslam National Poetry Slam Team.

Shaun Srivastava, aka nodalone, is a member of the 2011 Flagslam National Poetry Slam Team.

Originally from East Lansing, Michigan, nodalone moved to Flagstaff in 2008 to attend Northern Arizona University.

He will complete degrees in both exercise science and psychology in 2012, with plans to pursue a master’s degree in psychology.

While quietly writing poetry for many years, nodalone has only recently begun performing his spoken word at slams and various events throughout Arizona.

Preferring to use his platform to address current political, cultural, and social issues, the poet gives a performance that captures the power of the issue in a personal and passionate style.

The Klute wins the December Sedona Poetry Slam

After a high-stakes Haiku Death Match, TheKlute wins the first Sedona Poetry Slam of the 2011-12 National Poetry Slam Season.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Mason-Paul

With his Dec. 3 win, The Klute now leads the Sedona National Poetry
Slam Team Standings.

Benediction: Christopher Fox Graham, of Sedona

Round 1
Random Draw
Calibration: Gary Every, of Sedona

Lauren Perry, of Phoenix, 27.4
Jack Egan, of Sedona, 25.4
Christopher Harbster, of Flagstaff, 26.1
Spencer Troth, of Flagstaff, 26.8
Mikel Weisser, of Kingman, 26.5
The Klute, of Phoenix, 28.2
nodalone, of Flagstaff, 27.5
Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff, 26.6
Valence, of Flagstaff, 27.8
Ryan Brown, of Flagstaff, 28.9

Sorbet: Jahnilli Akbar, of New York City

Round 2
Reverse Order

Ryan Brown, of Flagstaff, 27.3, 56.2
Valence, of Flagstaff, 26.4, 54.2
Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff, 27.0, 53.6
nodalone, of Flagstaff, 27.0, 54.5
The Klute, of Phoenix, 28.5, 56.7
Mikel Weisser, of Kingman, 27.1, 53.6
Spencer Troth, of Flagstaff, 25.4, 52.2
Christopher Harbster, of Flagstaff, 26.1, 52.2
Jack Egan, of Sedona, of , 000, 000
Lauren Perry, of Phoenix, 28.3, 55.7

Feature: Jahnilli Akbar, of New York City

Sorbet: Christopher Fox Graham, of Sedona

Round 3
High to Low

The Klute, of Phoenix, 27.9, 84.6
Ryan Brown, of Flagstaff, 28.4, 84.6
Lauren Perry, of Phoenix, 28.3, 000
nodalone, of Flagstaff, 27.8, 82.3
Valence, of Flagstaff, 27.4, 81.6
Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff, 26.9, 80.5
Mikel Weisser, of Kingman, 27.0, 80.6
Spencer Troth, of Flagstaff, 26.1, 78.3
Christopher Harbster, of Flagstaff, 26.5, 78.7
Jack Egan, of Sedona , 28.2, 79.9
Sorbet: Christopher Fox Graham, of Sedona

Final Scores

The Klute, of Phoenix, 84.6, winning Haiku Death Match 3-2.
Ryan Brown, of Flagstaff, 84.6, losing Haiku Death Match 3-2.
Lauren Perry, of Phoenix, 84.0
nodalone, of Flagstaff, 82.3
Valence, of Flagstaff, 81.6
Mikel Weisser, of Kingman, 80.6
Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff, 80.5
Jack Egan, of Sedona, 79.9
Christopher Harbster, of Flagstaff, 78.7
Spencer Troth, of Flagstaff, 78.3

Sedona National Poetry Slam Team

Slamoff Point Standings

4 points

The Klute, of Phoenix

3 points

Ryan Brown, of Flagstaff

2 points

Lauren Perry, of Phoenix

1 point

Jahnilli Akbar, of New York City
Jack Egan, of Sedona
Christopher Fox Graham, of Sedona
Christopher Harbster, of Flagstaff
nodalone, of Flagstaff
Spencer Troth, of Flagstaff
Mikel Weisser, of Kingman
Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff
Valence, of Flagstaff
0.5 points
Gary Every, of Sedona

"Line in the Sands," by nodalone

"Line in the Sands," by nodalone aka Shaun Srivastava, third round poem in the Sedona Poetry Slam on Saturday, July 30, 2011.

"Line in the Sands"

by nodalone 
from the 2011 FlagSlam National Poetry Slam team chapbook "Gossamer Outrage"

At this very moment
in this great state of Arizona
we have congressmen sipping brandy
out of crystal clear snifters with white supremacists
up in Kingman
correlating Mexicans with empty bunk beds
in private prisons that haven’t even been built yet

laughing amongst themselves
comparing the thread counts in their satin sheet disguise
while their allegedly more educated children size up
ivory husk flecked business cards on wall street
and strategize
on how to sell credit default swaps and derivatives
and scams as grand as Egyptian pyramids
trying to tell college kids
staying up all night searching for scholarships
that the “American Dream”
is still alive
even though we can’t seem to escape the fact that it reeks
of formaldehyde

all while the powers that be perpetrate “patriotic ideas”
like repealing the 14th Amendment
to better protect the American public
from the imminent tidal wave
of little brown “anchor babies” and such nasty liberal tactics
as the “Dream Act” that they fancy to frame in a Pandora’s Box called amnesty

so what does one power broker of cultural purity say to the other?
“oh. I know,
we’ll call it SB 1070”
better get your papers, please
matter of fact I think this is a fake ID
step outta the car, Pedro, and get down on your fucking knees
start praying to that blond-haired
blue-eyed Jesus the same way
Governor Jan Brewer does every night before she slips off into her sweet slumber
resting comfortably on her California King sleep number
tallying migrant worker fatalities like counting sheep
before they’re sent off to slaughter

it’s time to tell our “glorious” war hero of a senator
that this country will not be reduced to Berlin
in the mid 1980s
metal walls and electric fences need only be reserved for cattle in this country
you would think that John McCain would be able to better understand
what it means
to be wrongfully imprisoned
simply for crashing in another man’s land

what was that he said again?
“finish the dang fence already?”
desperately pandering to
hypermedicated
understimulated
overweight
postmenopausal baby boomer blank faces
hiding behind the thick irony of straw gardening hats used to lynch Lipton tea bags
who can’t even navigate their way through a subway to order a ham sandwich

so who you gonna stand with?
NPG Cable and Cox Communications don’t collectively control enough
bandwidth
and there are not enough like-minded activists in this great state
to halt the implementation
of this blatantly racist legislative injustice

how much longer must we wait?
until we see Sheriff Joe Arpaio
dressed in standard-issue
Maricopa County pink jumpsuits sporting
stainless steel shackles enraged
developing strain polyps encaged
behind miles and miles of 20-foot tall chain-link fences

why don’t we just erase the border altogether
and sever the umbilical cord that is funneling federal funding
to that double-wide tractor trailer mechanical combine
of ignorance and hate
that is raping lady liberty and get back to
what that statue on Ellis Island really means

to be that faint glimmer at the end of the tunnel
for those families willing to risk their lives
so their children can grow up to one day realize
that opportunity
is more than that just an abstract term in the middle of an English dictionary

so why does it seem so quiet?
you should be rocking back and forth red in the face and screaming
hell, you’re already on top of the mountain
why don’t you go home and
Google Jim Crow and
come back next week and start shouting

because you see the truth is
history …
is gonna judge our generation
not by what we believed in,
but by what we didn’t.

Copyright 2011 © nodalone Shaun Srivastava

nodalone

Photo courtesy of Tara Graeber

nodalone 

Originally from East Lansing, Mich., Shaun Srivastava, aka nodalone, moved to Flagstaff in 2008 to attend Northern Arizona University.

While quietly writing poetry for many years, nodalone has only recently begun performing his spoken word at slams and various events throughout Arizona.

Preferring to use his platform to address current political, cultural, and social issues, the poet gives a performance that captures the power of the issue in a personal and passionate style.

He will complete degrees in both exercise science and psychology in 2012, with plans to pursue a master’s degree in psychology.