National Poetry Slam semi-final bouts

NPS 2012 Semifinal Bouts - 8 PM

Semifinal 1	Semifinal 2	Semifinal 3	Semifinal 4
Booth Playhouse, 130 North Tryon St. Charlotte, NC 28202. 704.372.1000	Duke Energy Theater, 345 North College St. Charlotte, NC 28202. 704.348.5740	Stage Door Theater, 130 N. Tryon St., Charlotte, NC, 28202, (enter on College St.)	Wells Fargo Auditorium, at the Knight Theater - 430 S. Tryon St., Charlotte, NC
Boston Poetry Slam @ the Cantab Lounge	Beltway Poetry Slam	Golden State Slam	Slam Nuba
Slam New Orleans	Slam Nahuatl	Killeen Poetry Slam	Da Poetry Lounge
Denver Mercury Poetry Slam	Nuyorican	Louder ARTS	Soap Boxing
Inkwell Poetry Slam	SlamRichmond	Elevated!	SF BayArea Unified
Eclectic Truth	Austin Poetry Slam	Salt City Slam	Respect Da Mic

NPS 2012 Group Finals -10 PM - McGlohan Theater

• ABQ Slams
• Bull City Slam
• Piedmont Poetry Slam
• Burlington Slam Project
• Jersey City Poetry Slam
• Dallas Poetry Slam
• Neo-Soul
• Vancouver Poetry Slam
• Urbana
• Loser Slam
• (Calibration) Java Monkey Slam

FlagSlam takes third, but gives Nuyorican and Hawaii a run for their money

Lake Effect, group, 20.7
Hawaii, Tui-Z, 24.3
Nuyorican, Jamaal, 25.8
FlagSlam, "Dear Pluto," Ryan CFG 25.4

Nuyorican, Falu, 23.8, 49.6
Lake Effect, Cory Mikesell, 24.03, 45.0
FlagSlam, Ryan Brown, "Justino," 26.4, 51.8
Hawaii, 25.3, 49.3

FlagSlam, Tara, "Acceptance," 24.7, 76.5
Nuyorican, Rico, 28.5, 78.1
Hawaii, Liam, 26.3, 75.9
Lake Effect,22.8, 67.8

Hawaii, 27.8, 103.7
FlagSlam, "Babies," Nodalone and CFG, 24.9, 101.4
Lake Effect, 26.35, 94.3
Nuyorican, Cyn, 28.3, 106.4

National Poetry Slam scores; Sedona ranked 30 of 48 thus far

Scores from night No.1
Sedona did well, but slipped from 2nd place to third by 0.7. Next bout is Thursday.
FlagSlam slams for the first time tonight.
Sedona is top-ranked Arizona team right now.

http://scores.poetryslam.com/node/4179/scores

Place	Team	Bout 1 Rank	Bout 1 Score	Bout 2 Rank	Bout 2 Score	Total Rank	Strength	Total Score
1	Boston Poetry Slam @ the Cantab Lounge	1	117.6			1		117.6
2	Salt City Slam	1	115.2			1		115.2
3	Beltway Poetry Slam	1	112.6			1		112.6
4	Da Poetry Lounge	1	111.6			1		111.6
5	SlamRichmond	1	111.5			1		111.5
6	Portland Poetry Slam	1	111.1			1		111.1
7	Slam New Orleans	1	110.9			1		110.9
8	Soap Boxing	1	110			1		110
9	Respect Da Mic	1	109.5			1		109.5
10	Urbana	1	108.3			1		108.3
11	Killeen Poetry Slam	1	104.3			1		104.3
12	Golden State Slam	1	101.4			1		101.4
13	SF BayArea Unified	2	117.1			2		117.1
14	Java Monkey Slam	2	113.9			2		113.9
15	Writing Wrongs	2	112.2			2		112.2
16	Green Mill	2	111			2		111
17	Slam Free or Die	2	109.1			2		109.1
18	Red Dirt Poetry Slam	2	109			2		109
19	Bull City Slam	2	108.5			2		108.5
20	Vancouver Poetry Slam	2	107.8			2		107.8
21	Dallas Poetry Slam	2	107.5			2		107.5
22	Verbal Slap	2	106.4			2		106.4
23	Intangible Slam	2	100.7			2		100.7
24	Inkwell Poetry Slam	2	98.8			2		98.8
25	Piedmont Poetry Slam	3	114.9			3		114.9
26	Houston Poetry Slam	3	112.4			3		112.4
27	SlamCharlotte	3	111			3		111
28	Writer's Block	3	109.7			3		109.7
29	Burlington Slam Project	3	108.4			3		108.4
30	Sedona Poetry Slam	3	108.3			3		108.3
31	ABQ Slams	3	107			3		107
32	WU Slam	3	106.6			3		106.6
33	Lizard Lounge	3	104.1			3		104.1
34	Steel City Slam	3	101.3			3		101.3
35	Providence Poetry Slam	3	98.3			3		98.3
36	OM Center Poetry Slam	3	93.8			3		93.8
37	Lawn Gnome Poetry Slam (Phoenix)	4	112.7			4		112.7
38	Neo-Soul	4	110.7			4		110.7
39	Rocktown Slam	4	109.6			4		109.6
40	White Plains Library Slam	4	107.8			4		107.8
41	Fort Worth Poetry Slam	4	106.8			4		106.8
42	MO Poetry Slam Springfield	4	106.1			4		106.1
43	Sacred Sounds	4	106.1			4		106.1
44	Boise Poetry Slam	4	103.9			4		103.9
45	Las Vegas Slam	4	101.5			4		101.5
46	Spoken Innovation Slam	4	98.1			4		98.1
47	Loser Slam	4	93.1			4		93.1
48	Ocotillo Poetry Slam (Tucson)	4	92.7			4		92.7

National Poetry Slam schedule

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE (This schedule will change)

 DATE/TIME EVENT

Monday, August 6, 2012 
2:00pm – 5:00pm Registration  (Holiday Inn Center City) 
 6:00pm – 7:00pm Poet Orientation (Holiday Inn Center City)
9pm – Until Welcome Party

 Tuesday, August 7, 2012 
8:30am – 9:30am Tai Chi
10:30am – 2:00pm Registration (Holiday Inn Center City)
10:30am – 12:00pm How to Care for Your Voice Workshop
12:00pm – 2:00pm Writing 101 Workshop
1:00pm – 3:00pm Open ASL Showcase
2:00pm – 4:00pm Entertainment Law Workshop
3:00pm – 5:00pm Point of Origin Reading
3:30pm – 4:30pm Poet Orientation (Holiday Inn Center City)
7:00pm – 9:00pm Round 1 Preliminary Bouts
9:00pm – 11:00pm Round 2 Preliminary Bouts
11:00pm – 2:00am Erotic Slam
11:00pm – 2:00am Slam Master vs. Rookie Slam (cash prize)

 Wednesday, August 8, 2012 
 8:30am – 9:30am Tai Chi
  10:30am – 12:00pm “Workshopping the Workshop” Workshop
 12:00pm – 2:00pm Writing 101 Workshop  
1:00pm – 3:00pm Recovery & Remembrance Reading
 2:00pm – 4:00pm International Booking Workshop
 3:00pm – 5:00pm Haiku Prelims  
7:00pm – 9:00pm Round 3 Preliminary Bouts  
9:00pm – 11:00pm Round 4 Preliminary Bouts  
11:00pm – 2:00am    Hip Hop Night  
11:00pm – 2:00am Beauty Vs. Brawn (cash prize)

Thursday, August 9, 2012 
 8:30am – 9:30am Tai Chi  
10:30am – 12:00pm Workshop
 12:00pm – 2:00pm Writing 101 Workshops
 1:00pm – 3:00pm Nerd Slam
  2:00pm – 4:00pm How to Make touring worth it! Workshop
 3:00pm – 5:00pm Haiku Prelims
  5:00pm-7:00pm Chow Down Uptown
 7:00pm – 9:00pm Round 5 Preliminary Bouts  
 9:00pm – 11:00pm Round 6 Preliminary Bouts
  11:00pm – 2:00am Encyclopedia Show  
11:30pm – 2:00am Monologue Slam (cash prize)  

Friday, August 10, 2012
 8:30am – 9:30am Tai Chi  
10:00am –2:00pm SlamMasters Meeting
 10:30am – 12:00pm Art as Business Workshop
 12:00pm – 2:00pm Writing 101 Workshop  
1:00pm – 3:00pm Day at the Museum Slam (guided tours or art installations)
  3:30pm – 5:00pm Haiku Finals (cash prize)
 8:00pm – 10:00pm Semi-Finals
  10:00pm – 1:00am Group Finals

Saturday, August 11, 2012 
10:00am – noon Slam Family Meeting  
Noon – 2:00pm Youth Slam  
Noon – 4:00pm Slam Family Picnic
 8:00pm – 11:00pm  FINALS  
11:00pm – Until Closing Party

Sedona National Poetry Slam Team squeezes out a 2nd place win by 0.2

Oral Experts, group poem, 24.3
Downtown Phoenix, Tomas, 29.1
Phoenix Nationals, Klute's "Arizona Board of Tourism," 29.7
Sedona, Evan Dissinger, 28.9
Sedona in third, behind DT Phx by 0.2, and Phoenix Nationals by 0.8

Phoenix Nationals, Rowie Shebala "Toy soliders" 28.7, 58.4

Oral Experts, woman, 26.4, 50.7
Sedona, Josh Wiss, 29.1, 58.0
Downtown Phoenix, Jeremiah Blue, 28.6, 57.7
Sedona pushes past DT Phx by 0.3, still behind Phoenix Nationals by 0.4

Sedona, Valence, 28.9, 86.9
Phoenix Nationals, Chesko's "ADD," 29.4, 87.8
Downtown Phoenix, Myrlin, 29.7, 87.4
Oral Experts, woman #2, 26.7, 77.4
DT Phx leaps past Sedona, which is now behind it by 0.5, and trailing Phoenix Nationals by 0.4, leaving Sedona in third behind Phx Nationals by 0.9

Downtown Phoenix, woman, 29.8, 117.2
Sedona, trio: Frank O'Brien, Josh Wiss, Evan Dissinger, 29.9, 116.8
Oral Experts, duo, 24.9, 102.3
Phoenix Nationals, Charles, 28.8, 116.6
Sedona's group poem knocks it out of the park, scoring the highest of the night. The push means Sedona can hold on to second if Phoenix Nationals fails to reach a 29.0. Charles only gets a 28.8 after following a lackluster duo from Oral Experts, leaving Phx Nationals in 3rd by 0.2.

Only top two teams, Sedona and DT Phoenix advance to finals tomorrow night.

The poets and teams at the 2012 National Poetry Slam

The poets and teams at the 2012 National Poetry Slam. The numbers are merely alphabetical order placeholders.


Much thanks to Danny Strack's 2012 NPS Scouting Report

1 Nitty Gritty Slam (Albany, N.Y.):
Shannon Shoemaker, Elizag, Kevin Peterson, Poetic Visionz, Coach: Mojavi, Slammaster: Thom Francis, Daniel Nester Mary
New England/N Beast
http://albanypoets.com/2012/05/help-team-nitty-gritty-go-to-national-poetry-slam-in-charlotte/

2 ABQ Slams (Albuquerque, N.M.):
Jessica Helen Lopez, Khalid Binsunni, Damien Flores, Zachary Kluckman, Alternate: Eva Crespin and NJ Casey, Slammaster: Damien Flores, Kenn Rodriquez
Southwest Shoot Out
http://www.facebook.com/kennrodriguez.poet
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_133873645144

3 Loser Slam (Asbury Park, N.J.):
Joshua Ballard, Greg Murray, Nicolas Cabrera, Dan Sanchez, Slammaster: Nicole Homer
New England/N Beast
http://www.facebook.com/loserslam

4 Art Amok! (Atlanta, Ga.):
Jonathan Samuel Eddie, Hillary Kobernick Watson, Marshall “Gripp” Gillson, Gabe Moses, Malika Hadley Freydberg, Slammaster: Karen “Karen G”
Southern Fried

5 Austin NeoSoul (Austin, Texas):
Shae Harris, LaLove Robinson, Danny Strack, Zai, “Korim” Jonathon Sterling, Coach: Ebony Stewart , Slammaster: Brian “B-Fran” Francis
Southwest Shoot Out

6 Austin Slam at Spiderhouse (Austin, Texas):
Good Ghost Bill, Kevin W. Burke, Margaret Ruth Olson, Keith Ruckus, Zachary Caballero Coach: Christopher Michael , Slammaster: Danny Strack
Southwest Shoot Out

7 Eclectic Truth (Baton Rouge, La.):
Chancelier Xero Skidmore, Jonathan Brown, Desireé V. Dallagiacomo, Rodrick Minor, Donney Rose, Slammaster: Jocelyn Young
Southern Fried

8 Boise Poetry Slam, Big Tree Arts - Delux (Boise, Idaho):
Cheryl Maddalena, Ross Hargreaves, Conor Hatchett Harris, Matthew Freeman, Alex Hatter, Slammaster: Cheryl Maddalena
Pac Coast/Big Sur
http://www.boisepoetry.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1

9 Boston Poetry Slam @ the Cantab Lounge (Boston, Mass.):
Kemi Alabi, Antonia Lassar, Omoizele Okoawo, Mckendy Fils-Aimé, Melissa Newman-Evans, Slammaster: Simone Beaubien Mckendy/April Ranger
New England/N Beast
http://bostonpoetryslam.com/

10 Lizard Lounge; Boston/Cambridge (Boston, Mass.):
Porsha Rashidaat J. Olayiwola, Janae Johnson, Rudy Rudacious, TheIncredible Christopher Johnson!, Slammaster: Jeff Robinson
New England/N Beast
http://poetryjam.org/slam/

11 Verbal Slap at the Poetz Realms (Bridgeport, Conn.):
Midnight, Hawk, Baub, Coach: Frederick Douglass , Slammaster: Croilot Carlos, “Kwalo” Semexant
New England/N Beast
www.facebook.com/poetzrealm
http://www.gofundme.com/maddk

12 Bulington Slam Project (Bulington, Ontario, Canada):
Kay’la Fraser, Truth Is…, Tomy Bewick, Lip Balm, Alternate: Dan aka Dan Murray aka Dan, Slammaster: Tomy Bewick
Canadian
http://burlingtonslam.wordpress.com/

13 Charlotte Respect Da Mic (Charlotte, N.C.):
Blk Swan, CP Maze, EyeAmBic, Mania, Slammaster: Rochelle “Blaqbaree” Stanley
Southern Fried
www.respectdamic.org

14 SlamCharlotte (Charlotte, N.C.):
Ed Mabrey, Christopher Shawn Barker, Filmore Johnson, Boris Rogers, Twenty20, Slammaster: Boris “Bluz” Rogers
Southern Fried
http://www.slamcharlotte.com

15 Green Mill (Chicago) (Chicago, Ill.):
Eric Sirota, Shelly Giezler, Rik Vazquez, Marty McConnell, Slammaster: Marc “So What” Smith
Midwest/Rustbelt

16 Mental Graffiti (Chicago, Ill.):
Anthony Michael Cooremans, Patrick Pressl, Stephanie Lane Sutton, Billy Tuggle, Coach: Emily Rose, Slammaster: Emily Rose
Midwest/Rustbelt
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mental-Graffiti/42614196497

17 Lake Effect Poetry, formerly Dragons Inc. (Cleveland, Ohio):
T.M. Göttl, Mello da Poet, Carla Thompson, Cory Mikesell, Alternate: Skylark Bruce, Slammaster: Vertigo Xi'an Xavier
Midwest/Rustbelt
http://www.lakeeffectpoetry.com/

18 Writer's Block (Colombus, Ohio):
Gina Blaurock, Hanif Abdurraqib, Rose M Smith, Vernell Bristow, Slammaster: Scott Woods
Midwest/Rustbelt
http://writersblockpoetry.rewritingovid.net/Current.php

19 Writing Wrongs (Colombus, Ohio):
Siaara ControverSi Freeman, AKeemjamal Rollins, Ethan Rivera, Rachel Wiley, Arianna Cheree McCall, Slammaster: Will Evans
Midwest/Rustbelt
http://www.facebook.com/groups/109154669177635/

20 Dallas Poetry Slam (Dallas, Texas):
Awaji Johnson, Candy, Twain, Lgb Jay Sentino, Slammaster: Rock Baby
Southwest Shoot Out
http://www.wordspace.us/past_events/

21 Java Monkey (Decatur, Ga.):
Marques “Quez” Linly, Daryl Funn, Miss Haze, Brian Patillo, Fit Linly, Slammaster: Daryl “MistaFunn” Funn
Southern Fried
http://www.facebook.com/JavaMonkeySlam

22 SlamNUBA (Denver, Colo.):
Jovan Mays, Kenya Mahogany Pollard, Jozer Guerrero, Alejandro Jimenez, Suzi Q. Smith Alternate: D. Brooks, Slammaster: Suzi Q Smith
Southwest Shoot Out

23 Mercury Café aka Denver Merc (Denver, Colo.):
Ian Dougherty, Rebecca Preston, Trevor Liam-Byrne Smith, Eddie Eifler, Kylee Wellons Alternate: Kayla Price Coach: Bianca Mikahn , Slammaster: Bianca Mikahn and Trevor Byrne-Smith
Southwest Shoot Out

24 Bull City Slam/Jambalaya Soul Slam (Durham, N.C.):
Kimberly Redefining Freedom, Sum Thyng Likea Poet, Elliot Axiom, I-Shine, Slammaster: Chris Massenberg aka “Dasan Ahanu”
Southern Fried
http://bullcitypoetryslam.com/about.html

25 Flagslam (Flagstaff, Ariz.):

Christopher Fox Graham, Ryan Brown, Shaun Srivastava “nodalone”, Tara Pollock, Jackson Morris, Slammaster: Ryan Brown
Southwest Shoot Out

26 Ink Well Poetry Slam (Fort Worth and Arlington, Texas ):
Divine aka Verb Kulture, La Quitta Alexander, Terry Odis, Michael Hatcher, Duane Madden, Slammaster: Duane Madden
Southwest Shoot Out
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003162799340

27 Fort Worth Poetry Slam (Fort Worth, Texas ):
DonJuan Hutchinson, Alex “ThaGreat” Gurley, Giselle Robinson, Stephen Seargant, Coach: A.J. Houston , Slammaster: Michael Guinn & Dave Stanley
Southwest Shoot Out
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Worth-Poetry-Slams/324953048000

28 Da Poetry Lounge - Hollywood Slam (Hollywood, Calif.):
Fisseha Moges, Simply Kat, Terisa Siagatonu, Javon Johnson, Venessa Marie Marco, Slammaster: Shihan Van Clief
Pac Coast/Big Sur

29 Hawai’i Slam (Honalulu, Hawai’i):
Liam Skilling, Tui-Z, Jenna Robinson, Sterling Higa, Ink, Slammaster: Kealoha
Pac Coast/Big Sur
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaii_Slam

30 Houston Poetry Slam (Houston, Texas):
Savannah Blue, Brother Said, Karega, Softly Spoken, Slammaster: Cedric “Brother Said” Ary
Southwest Shoot Out

31 Houston V.I.P. (Houston, Texas):
DEEP, Fluent, Trademark, Outspoken Bean, Slammaster: Marcell Murphy, D.E.E.P
Southwest Shoot Out

32 Jersey City aka J.C. Slam (Jersey City, N.J.):
Rico, Quote, Justin Woo, Sean V., Jaime Martin, Slammaster: Broken English, Benedicto Figuera
New England/N Beast
http://www.facebook.com/events/155669631228935/

33 Killeen Poetry Slam (Killeen, Texas (KPS @ NPS):
Forressa Harrison, Phetote, “Doc” - Jennine Krueger, John Crow, Allen Small, Slammaster: John Crow
Southwest Shoot Out/Southern Fried
http://www.facebook.com/kpslam

34 Spoken Innovation Slam (Lafayette, LA ):
Don “Yah Fu the Prodigal Son” Mitchell, Hungry Hungry, Michelle “Spirit Soul” Hayes Nelson, Traverse, Slammaster: Yahfu
Southern Fried

35 Las Vegas Slam (Las Vegas, Nev.):
A.j. Moyer, Kari O'Connor, Kingsnoise, Brian Du Fresne “Cactus”, Tiegen Kosiak, Slammaster: AJ Moyer
Southwest Shoot Out
http://www.facebook.com/lasvegasslam

36 Rocktown Poetry Slam aka Unified Arkansas (Little Rock, Ark.):
Houston Hughes, Kim Marshall, Lennon Simpson, Mo-Man, Slammaster: The Mo-Man Amoja Sumelr
Southern Fried

37 Team Speak On It - Louisville Poetry Slam (Louisville, Miss.):
Zamir, Cherish Triplett (Cheri B), TRUE, Sireal, Slammaster: Sam Green and Krystle Green
Southern Fried
http://www.louisvillepoetryslam.org/
http://www.facebook.com/lpslam

38 Urban Spoken Word - Madison Slam (Madison, Wis.):
Dan Vaughn, Sabrina Madison “Progress”, Tony Fudge, Caitlin Mchagan, Slammaster: David Hart
Midwest/Rustbelt
http://www.madpoetry.org/readings.html

39 SlamFree or Die at Milly's Tavern (Manchester, N.H.):
Heidi Therrien, Sam Teitel, Derek Avila, Beau Williams, Christopher Clauss, Slammaster: Mark Palos
New England/N Beast
http://www.facebook.com/slamfreeordie

40 Bama Slam (Montevallo, Ala.):
Natalie Peach, Alex Allen, Jerri Hardesty, Sara McCune “The Current Poet”, Lady Caldwell, Slammaster: Kirk Hardesty
Southern Fried
http://www.newdawnunlimited.com/

41 SNO - SlamNewOrleans (New Orleans, La.):
Katalyst Alcindor, Tarriona Tank Ball, Akeem Martin, Icon, Justin Lamb, Slammaster: Akeem Martin
Southern Fried

42 Intangible (Washington Square, New York, N.Y.):
Brian Omni Dillon, Mike Rosen, Vanessa Perillo, Seth Wallin, Thomas Fucaloro, Slammaster: Brian “Omni” Dillon
New England/N Beast
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Intangible-Collective/67799698440

43 Louder Arts at Bar 13 (Union Square, New York, N.Y.):
Mokgethi Thinane “Mega”, Megan Falley, Jamaal May, Catalina Ferro, Slammaster: Lynne Procope
New England/N Beast
http://www.louderarts.com/

44 Nuyorican (Lower East Side, New York, N.Y.):
Jaamal St John, McPherson, Falu, Cyn Thompson, Slammaster: Mahogany “Mo” L. Browne
New England/N Beast

45 Urbana (Bowery, New York, NY Urbana):
Joanna Hoffman, Jeanann Verlee, Jared Singer, Ingamar Dion Ramirez, Slammaster: Jeanann Verlee
New England/N Beast
http://original.bowerypoetry.com/urbana/

46 Golden State Slam (Oakland, Calif.):
Danee Black-Queen D, Prentice Powell, Imani Cezanne, Joshua Merchant, Slammaster: NerCitty aka Shawn Gullatt
Pac Coast/Big Sur

47 Red Dirt - Wayward Poets (Oklahoma City, Okla.):
Melissa May, Rob Sturma, Michael Pearce, Grae, Slammaster: Jenn Hudgens
Southwest Shoot Out

48 Center Slam - Omaha; Healing Arts (Omaha,Neb.):
Zedeka Poindexter, Sean Patrick Mulroy, Gage Wallace, Ben Wenzl, Jarvis, Slammaster: Matt Mason
Midwest/Rustbelt
http://novia.net/~mtmason/phealing.html

49 The FUZE (Philadelphia, Pa.):
Mike O'Hara, Clarence Wright, MJ Harris, Elicit, Warren Longmire, Slammaster: Sherod Smallman
New England/N Beast
http://www.facebook.com/FuzePoetry

50 Lawn Gnome Poetry Slam (Phoenix, Ariz.):

Rowie Shebala, Charles Levett, Bernard Schober “The Klute,” Kevin Chesko Briancesco, Slammaster: Aaron Johnson
Southwest Shoot Out
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150744275064374

51 Piedmont Slam (Winston-Salem, N.C.):
Eurydice, Milli, LB, Kelly Rae, Krosswordz, Slammaster: Bob Moyer
Southern Fried
http://www.facebook.com/piedmontslam

52 Steel City Slam at Shadow Lounge (Pittsburgh, Pa.):
William James, Adriana, Tera McIntosh, Valkyrie, Alternate: Rhetorical Artz, Slammaster: Adriana Ramirez William James & Brian Francis
New England/N Beast
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Steel-City-Slam/154621124559854

53 Second Tues Slam at Port Veritas (Portland, Maine):
Ryan McLellan, Nate Amadon, Wil Gibson, Tina Smith, Zach Dickie, Slammaster: Nate Amadon
New England/N Beast
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1456950954
(Depending on what coastline a team is from, this is called the "Portland" to much confusion with those who mistake it the Portland, Ore., team.)

54 Portland Poetry Slam (Portland, Ore.):
David Doc Luben, Meg Waldron, Samantha Peterson, Robyn Bateman, William Stanford Alternate: Chris Leja, Slammaster: Eirean Bradley
Pac Coast/Big Sur
(Depending on what coastline a team is from, this is called the "Portland" to much confusion with those who mistake it the Portland, Maine, team.)

55 Providence  aka ProvSlam) (Providence, R.I.):
Franny Choi, Aaron Samuels, Casey Rocheteau, Ryk McIntyre, Slammaster: Megan Thoma and Jared Paul
New England/N Beast
http://www.facebook.com/groups/27253469049/

56 SlamRichmond (Richmond, Va.):
Matthew Cuban Hernandez, John S. Blake, Casandra B., Douglas Roscoe-Burnems Powell, Lee Jones, Slammaster: Jason Moore
Southern Fried
http://www.facebook.com/slamrichmond

57 Salt City Slam (Salt Lake City, Utah):
Gray, DeAnn Emett, Jesse Parent, Brian Frandsen, Rebeca Mae, Slammaster: Jesse Parent
Southwest Shoot Out

58 PuroSlam! (San Antonio, Texas):
Amanda Flores, Christopher Rooster Martinez, Joshua Lakey Hinson, Diamond Mason, Kellee Taylor Morgan Greenwood, Slammaster: Jason “Shaggy” Gossard
Southwest Shoot Out

59 San Diego Slam; Elevated (San Diego, Calif.):
Benni, Joe Limer, Rudy Francisco, Nick Macedo, Treesje Powers Coach: Chris Wilson , Slammaster: Christopher Wilson Rudy Francisco
Pac Coast/Big Sur

60 San Francisco Bay Area United (San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland and San Jose, Calif.):
Sam Sax, Katelyn Lucas, Lisa Evans, Cameron Awkward-Rich, Slammaster: Mona Webb and Betsy Gomez
Pac Coast/Big Sur

61 Legendary Collective (Santa Cruz, Calif.):
Jesse Rincon, Jasmine Rosemary Schlafke, Storm Thomas, Lee Knight Jr., Precious Wingo, Slammaster: Jaz Sufi
Pac Coast/Big Sur
http://www.legendarycollective.com/

62 Seattle Poetry Slam (Seattle, Wash.):
Sara Brickman, Rose McAleese, Roma Raye, Amber Flame, Slammaster: Daemond Arrindell
Pac Coast/Big Sur

63 Sedona Poetry Slam (Sedona, Ariz.):

Tyler “Valence” Sirvinskas, Evan Dissinger, Josh Wiss, Frank O'Brien, Spenser Troth, Slammaster: Christopher Fox Graham
Southwest Shoot Out
http://foxthepoet.blogspot.com/

64 Springfield Poetry Slam (Springfield, Mo.):
Michelle Nimmo, Sarah Woolsey, Mary Spratt, Gretchen Glock Teague, Slammaster: Seth White & Michelle Nimmo
Southern Fried
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001721305743

65 St. Paul Unified (Soapboxing & SlamMN) (St. Paul, Minn.):
Guante, Shane Hawley, Kait Rokowski, Khary Jackson (6 is 9), Slammaster: Sam Cook
Midwest/Rustbelt
http://www.soap-boxing.com/catalog.html
http://www.facebook.com/SlamMinnesota

66 Pierced Ear Poetry Slam (Stockton, Calif.):
The Saint, Leo Bryant, The Poet -i-, Christina Perez (Perez), Jaz Sufi, Slammaster: Anthony Gonsalves
Pac Coast/Big Sur

67 Toronto Poetry Slam at Cytopoetics (Toronto, Ontario, Canada):
Britta B, Eytan Crouton, The P.O.E., Noah Kaplan, Cathy Petch, Slammaster: David Silverberg
Canadian
http://www.torontopoetryslam.com/

68 Tucson - Ocotillo Poetry Slam (Tucson, Ariz.):

Mickey Randalman, Ethan C. Dickinson, Laura Lacanette, Jordan Pasch, Maya Asher, Slammaster: Maya Asher
Southwest Shoot Out
http://www.facebook.com/ocotillopoetryslam

69 Vancouver Slam (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada):
Jillian Christmas, Erich Haygun, Erin-Brooke Kirsh, Zaccheus Jackson Nyce, Alternate: Julie J C Peters (alternate), Slammaster: Jessica Mason Paull
Pac Coast/Big Sur/Canadian

70 Beltway Slam (Washington, D.C.):
Pages Matam, Drew Law, Twain Dooley, Clint Smith, Slammaster: Sarah Lawson
Southern Fried
http://www.facebook.com/beltwaypoetryslam

71 White Plains (White Plains, N.Y. ):
Holden Contreras Sr., Sr., Bryan Roessel, Eric “Zork” Alan, Laura Vookles “LV”, Nina Robins, Slammaster: Eric “Zork” Allen
New England/N Beast
http://whiteplains.patch.com/announcements/official-westchester-poetry-slam-team-to-compete-in-national-championships-in-charlotte-north-carolina?logout=true

72 WU Slam - Washington University (St. Louis, Mo.):
Pat Hollinger, Lauren Banka, Bryan Baird, Jacqui Germain, Sam Lai, Slammaster: Mikkel Snyder - formerly Solomon Brown
Midwest/Rustbelt
http://www.facebook.com/WUSLam
https://sites.google.com/site/wuslam/

National Poetry Slam draw for the Sedona, Flagstaff slam teams

Sedona National Poetry Slam Team

Bout 8 (Venue 2, 9 p.m.), Tuesday

Sedona Poetry Slam:

Tyler "Valence" Sirvinskas, Evan Dissinger, Josh Wiss, Frank O'Brien, Spencer Troth

Poetry Slam Springfield, (Springfield, Ill.):
Michelle Nimmo, Sarah Woosley, Kait Rokowski, Khary Jackson "6 is 9"
Portland Poetry Slam (Portland, Ore.):
David Doc Luben (former Prescott and Tucson slammer), Meg Waldron, Samantha Peterson, Robyn Bateman, William Stanford
Red Dirt Poetry Slam (Oklahoma City):
Melissa May, Rob Sturma, Michael Pearce, Grae

Bout 30 (Venue 6, 7 p.m.), Thursday

Sedona Poetry Slam:

Tyler "Valence" Sirvinskas, Evan Dissinger, Josh Wiss, Frank O'Brien, Spencer Troth

ABQ Slams (Albuquerque, N.M.):
Jessica Helen Lopez, Khalid Binsunni, Damien Flores, Zachary Kluckman
WU Slam (Washington University, St. Louis, Mo.):
Pat Hollinger, Lauren Banka, Bryan Baird, Jacqui Germain,
Neo-Soul (Austin, Texas):
Shae Harris, LaLove Robinson, Danny Strack, Zai, "Korim" Jonathon Sterling

FlagSlam National Poetry Slam Team

Bout 14 (Venue 2, 7 p.m.), Wednesday

FlagSlam Poetry Slam:

Christopher Fox Graham, Ryan Brown, Shaun Srivastava "Nodalone", Tara Pollock, Jackson Morris

HawaiiSlam, (Honolulu):
Liam Skilling, Tui-Z, Jenna Robinson, Sterling Higa, Ink
Lake Effect (Cleveland, Ohio):
T.M. Göttl, Mello da Poet, Carla Thompson, Cory Mikesell
Nuyorican (Lower East Side, New York City):
Jaamal St John, McPherson, Falu, Cyn Thompson

Bout 34 (Venue 4, 9 p.m.), Thursday

FlagSlam Poetry Slam:

Christopher Fox Graham, Ryan Brown, Shaun Srivastava "Nodalone", Tara Pollock, Jackson Morris

Louder ARTS, Bar 13 (Union Square, New York City)
Mokgethi Thinane "Mega", Megan Falley, Jamaal May, Catalina Ferro  
Louisville Poetry Slam (Louisville, Miss.)
Zamir, Cherish Triplett "Cheri B", True, Sireal
Seattle Poetry Slam (Seattle, Wash):
Sara Brickman, Rose McAleese, Roma Raye, Amber Flame

Simplified: What is the Higgs boson and what did CERN do?

A visit with particle physicist Daniel Whiteson at CERN, where he talks about what the mysterious Higgs Boson is and how the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will find it (if it exists).

GumptionFest VII hosts the fourth annual Haiku Death Match in Sedona

GumptionFest VII's Haiku Death Match, aka GF7HDM

A Haiku Death Match is a competitive poetry duel that is a subgenre of poetry slam. The Haiku Death Match is a prominent feature at the annual National Poetry Slam, replete with full costume for the host.

At GumptionFest VII, we will hold the Fourth Annual Haiku Death Match. It takes place on Saturday, Sept. 15. Stage and time yet to be determined.

What is haiku?
Haiku (俳句) is a form of Japanese poetry consisting of 17 syllables in three metrical phrases of 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables.

Japanese haiku typically contain a kigo, or seasonal reference, and a kireji or verbal caesura. In Japanese, haiku are traditionally printed in a single vertical line, while haiku in English usually appear in three lines, to parallel the three metrical phrases of Japanese haiku.

What is slam haiku?
Slam haiku used in a Haiku Death Match is far simpler: Use of three or fewer lines of 17 syllables. Slam haiku can be anything from a single 17-syllable line or simply 17 words. Two of mine:

Traditional 5-7-5 haiku
Serial Killer Haiku
Funny you should ask
my trunk can fit two Boy Scouts
and a grandmother

American 17-syllable haiku
Grammar Haiku:
Why isn't "phonetic" spelled phonetically?
While you think, let's make out

A standard Haiku Death Match is conducted thus:
The host randomly draws the names of two poets, known as haikusters, from the pool of competitors.
The haikusters adorn headbands of two colors: Red and Not-Red (white).
Red Haikuster and Host bow to each other.
Not-Red Haikuster and Host bow to each other.
Red Haikuster and Not-Red Haikuster bow to each other.
Red Haikuster goes first.
The Red Haikuster reads his or her haiku twice. The audience does not clap or make noise (usually, though, they laugh or vocalize, but, of course, we must pretend that this is completely unacceptable).
The Not-Red Haikuster reads his or her haiku twice. Again, the audience does not clap or make noise.
The host waits for the three judges to make their choice for winner, then signals them to hold aloft their Red or Not-Red flag.
Simple majority (3-0 or 2-1) determines the winner.
The host asks the audience to demonstrate “the sound of one hand clapping,” i.e., silence, then “the sound of two hands clapping,” at which point they can finally applaud. The mock ceremony involving the audience is half the fun.
The winning haikuster then goes first.
Depending on the round, the winner will be best 3 of 5, 4 of 7, best 5 of 9, etc., of a number determined beforehand for each round.
After the duel, Red Haikuster and Not-Red Haikuster bow to each other and shake hands. The next duel begins.

Rules for the GumptionFest VII Haiku Death Match:

• Titles: Haikusters can read their haiku titles before they read the haiku. (This gives the haikusters technically more syllables to put the haiku in context, but the haiku itself must still be only 17 syllables. While this is not “pure” Haiku Death Match rules, it’s much more fun for the audience.
  
• Originality: Poets must be the sole authors of the haiku they use in competition. Plagiarized haiku are grounds for disqualification. We all love Matsuo Bashō, but he’s 300 years too dead to compete.
  
• On-page or memorized?: Poets can read from the page, book, journal, notepad, etc.
  
• Preparation: Poets can have haiku written beforehand or write them in their head while at the mic. As long as the haiku are 17 syllables, we don’t care how, when or from where the haiku originates.
  
• Rounds: Will be determined by the number of haikusters who sign up to compete.
  
• Quantity of haiku needed: Depends on the number of rounds. 30 haiku will likely be enough for poets who push rounds to the last haiku needed and go all the rounds, but 50 to 100 gives haikusters enough material to be flexible in competition. Most veteran haikusters have several hundred to compete with.
  
• Censorship: Adult themes and language are acceptable. There may be children present so you may have to deal with their parents afterward, but that’s your call.
  
• Register: E-mail me at foxthepoet@yahoo.com or GumptionFest at GumptionFest@gmail.com.

What’s the Best Strategy to Win?

• A winning haikuster is flexible.
  
• If your opponent reads a serious or deep haiku, read one that is more serious or more profound, or go on the opposite tack and read something funny.
  
• If your opponent reads a funny haiku, read one that is funnier, or go on the opposite tack and read something serious or deep.
  
• If your opponent makes fun of you, make fun of yourself even bigger or make fun of them. A good head-to-head haiku can work wonders and often wins a Haiku duel. For instance, my “Damien Flores Haiku,” “Easy way to win: / Damien is 20, Officer, / and he's drunk."
  
• If you’re on stage and you get an idea for a haiku, feel free to write it down immediately. That might be the next round’s haiku that wins you the duel.
  
• Have a good time. Even if don't get past the first round, it's still a great time for all.

Still Scared of Haiku?
Don't be, they're easy to write. Haiku Death Match haiku are not likely to be remembered centuries from now, so don't stress out. Write short poems that you find entertaining and enjoyable.

The Robert Spiess Memorial 2012 Haiku Awards

nautical chart
I touch the depth
of my mother’s ashes

— Scott Mason, First Prize

slave quarters ...
the shapes of their shadows
in this dust

— Duro Jaiye, Second Prize

shades of blue ...
the deer’s remaining eye
cradled by bone

— Susan Constable, Third Prize

winter dusk
my grief released
from the crow’s throat

— Margaret Chula, Honorable Mention

formation of geese —
a log opens
to the woodsman’s maul

— Michele L. Harvey, Honorable Mention

I seem to be
an intermittent shadow . . .
summer clouds

— Kirsty Karkow, Honorable Mention

Anonymous Haiku:


Haiku are easy
but sometimes they don't make sense ...
refrigerator

she dances lithely
seduction under the moon
I ... hey, a nickel!

My life is Jello
Sitting, waiting in the bowl
Patiently to gel

"Doom" Haiku:
Frag demons for hours
Stare at the screen with red eyes
it's time for class

Cat haiku:
The rule for today
Touch my tail, I shred your hand
New rule tomorrow

Dog haiku:
You must scratch me there!
Yes, above my tail! Behold,
"Elevator butt."

Christopher Fox Graham features at the Pump House Poetry and Prose open-air public reading

Pump House Poetry and Prose announces June 29 open-air public reading

Pump House Poetry and Prose announces its third public literary reading of the 2012 season, on Friday, June 29, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the historic Sedona Pump House ,east of Creekside Plaza, south of the Sedona Y on State Route 179).


View Pump House Poetry open-air reading in a larger map

About the Readers

Christopher Fox Graham is a Montana-born poet and current Sedona poetry slammaster. He won the 2004 and 2012 Flagstaff Poetry Grand Slam and the 2005 Arizona All-Star Poetry Slam, and he is a member of the 2012 Flagstaff National Poetry Slam Team. He is assistant managing editor of the Sedona Red Rock News and has been seen on MTV and the Travel Channel.

Eric Penner Haury writes prose, including science fiction and fantasy. His short stories have appeared in The Fifth Di… and Tales of the Talisman. In 2011, the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff published his biography of his grandfather, who was director of the museum in the 1960s and 1970s, Edward Bridge Danson—Steward of the New West.

Mateo is a poet, wood-etching artist and hand-balancer who recently moved to Arizona from Ohio. He works with sacred geometry and crop circles by etching them into wood, and studies spirituality of all kinds, including the Keys of Enoch. He was an open mic reader in May and was invited to be one of this month’s featured authors based on that performance.

Pump House Poetry and Prose

Cynthia Tuck, owner of Ageless Pages, the used bookstore in Sedona, and Cassandra Ward, a professor at Northern Arizona University, present monthly Pump House Poetry and Prose readings at the Sedona Pump House from 4 to 6 p.m. on the last Friday of each month to promote an interest in literature in Northern Arizona in general and in Sedona in particular.

Poet Gary Every serves as master of ceremonies and reads from his own work at each monthly event.

GumptionFest VII issues call for artists, volunteers and vendors

GumptionFest VII issues call for artists, volunteers and vendors

GumptionFest, Sedona’s largest free, community arts festival takes place along Coffee Pot Drive in West Sedona on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 14, 15 and 16.

GumptionFest VII: A New Hope is opening the call to all artists who want to participate. Performers should contact GumptionFest organizers now to voice their interest in performing. The deadline for all performers to get in is Wednesday, Aug. 1.

Vendors are also invited to come to display and sell their wares to the estimated 1,200 attendees.

This year’s festival is expected to be the biggest ever, expanding from the main stage at Oak Creek Brewing Co. to other locations along State Route 89A: Olde Sedona Bar & Grill, Szechuan Martini Bar, Heart of Sedona coffee shop, outside New Frontiers Natural Marketplace and the outdoor stage at the Old Marketplace.

The festival features some of the most well-known names in the Sedona and Verde Valley as well as regional artists from Flagstaff and Phoenix, and other performers from Kingman and Los Angeles. The artists include singers, songwriters, performance poets, rock bands, painters, sculptors and fire-spinning performance artists. Poets are welcome to compete in the fourth annual Haiku Death Match poetry slam.

However, what makes GumptionFest unique among Arizona arts festivals is that anyone who wants to play music, perform poetry, display art or dance is eagerly invited to participate. Talent levels are not important: participants range from full-time professional artists and musicians and published poets to recreational artists, part-time photographers and those who pen poems in private journals.

Youth and teen artists are strongly encouraged to participate whether they aim to become professional artists as adults or just create art, write poetry or play music to pass the time.

The GumptionFest VII kickoff party begins Friday, Sept. 14.

GumptionFest VII officially starts on Saturday, Sept. 15, with performances all day long. GumptionFest VII Day Two continues the party on Sunday, Sept. 16, with a whole new lineup.

Volunteers are also still needed this year, so even those who don’t play an instrument, paint, sculpt or write poems can help and be a part of one of the largest free arts festival in Sedona.

Organizers for GumptionFest VII: A New Hope invite visual artists, photographers, dancers and dance troupes, musicians, bands, theater groups and poets who want to be a part of the festival for either one, two, or all three days to attend and spontaneously create or perform.

To participate, volunteer or contribute as a sponsor, contact GumptionFest@gmail.com or visit gumptionfest.org or GumptionFest on Facebook.

Valence wins the Sedona Poetry Grand Slam

Tyler "Valence" Sirvinskas wins the Sedona Poetry Grand Slam held Saturday, June 16, 2012, at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre in Sedona, Arizona.

Photo courtesy of MaryCae Vignolini

2012 Sedona Grand Slam Champion Tyler Sirvinskas, aka Valence, performs at the 2011 National Poetry Slam in Cambridge, Mass.

The 2012 Sedona National Poetry Slam Team members are:

Valence, Evan Dissinger, Josh Wiss, Frank O'Brien and Spenser Troth.

Benediction: Christopher Fox Graham, of Sedona, "Welcome to the Church of the Word"

Round 1
Draw based on season's point rankings

Calibration: Shaun "nodalone" Sristava, of Flagstaff
Calibration: Jackson Morris, of Flagstaff
Calibration: Christopher Fox Graham, of Sedona, "Spinal Language"

Lauren Hanss, of Flagstaff, 21.8, 1:32, 11th, -7.1
Gary Every, of Sedona, 23.7, 22.7 after 1.0-point time penalty, 3:24, 10th, -5.2
Evan Dissinger, of Flagstaff, 28.3, 3:06, tie 3rd, -0.6
Spenser Troth, of Flagstaff, 28.3, 27.3 after 1.0-point time penalty, 3:21, tie 3rd, -0.6
Austin Reeves, of Flagstaff, 26.8, 2:41, 8th -2.1
Mikel Weisser, of Kingman, 26.4, 2:18, 9th, -2.5
Frank O'Brien, of Prescott, 27.5, 2:59, tie 6th, -1.4
The Klute, of Phoenix, 28.3, 27.8 after 0.5-point time penalty, 3:15, tie 3rd, -0.6
Lauren Perry, of Phoenix, 27.5,  2:51, tie 6th, -1.4
Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff, 28.9, 2:18, 1st, 0.0
Tyler "Valence" Sirvinskas, of Flagstaff, 28.5, 2:54, 2nd, -0.4

Round 2
Reverse Order

Sorbet: Christopher Fox Graham, of Sedona, "Dear Pluto"

Tyler "Valence" Sirvinskas, of Flagstaff, 28.3, 2:26, 56.8, 4th, -0.5
Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff, 28.1, 2:39, 57.0, 3rd, -0.3

Lauren Perry, of Phoenix, 28.3, 2:32, 55.8, 5th, -1.5
The Klute, of Phoenix, 29.4, 2:50, 57.2, 2nd, -0.1
Frank O'Brien, of Prescott, 27.8, 2:57, 55.3, 6th, -2.0
Mikel Weisser, of Kingman, 26.9, 2:46, 53.3, 9th, -4.0
Austin Reeves, of Flagstaff, 26.7, 2:59, 53.5, 8th, -3.8
Spenser Troth, of Flagstaff, 26.8, 2:33, 54.1, 7th, -3.2
Evan Dissinger, of Flagstaff, 29.0, 2:14, 57.3, 1st, 0.0
Gary Every, of Sedona, 27.0, 2:50, 49.7, 10th, -7.6
Lauren Hanss, of Flagstaff, 25.8, 2:08, 47.6, 11th, -9.7

Round 3
High to Low

Sorbet: Christopher Fox Graham (poem) and Azami Ishihara (dance), of Sedona, "In the Corners of This Room."

Evan Dissinger, of Flagstaff, 28.3, 1:33, 85.6, 2nd, -0.4
The Klute, of Phoenix, 28.3, 2:47, 85.5, 3rd, -0.5
Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff, 28.3, 2:26, 85.3, 4th, -0.7

Tyler "Valence" Sirvinskas, of Flagstaff, 29.2, 2:47, 86., 1st, 0.0
Lauren Perry, of Phoenix, 27.6, 27.1 after 0.5-point time penalty, 3:16, 82.9, 6th, -3.1
Frank O'Brien, of Prescott, 28.8, 2:58, 84., 5th, -1.9
Spenser Troth, of Flagstaff, 28.3, 1:33, 82.4, 7th, -3.6
Austin Reeves, of Flagstaff, 28.6, 3:06, 82.1, 8th, -3.9
Mikel Weisser, of Kingman, 26.9, 2:28, 80.2, 9th, -5.8
Gary Every, of Sedona, 27.6, 1:54, 77.3, 10th, -8.7
Lauren Hanss, of Flagstaff, 27.3, 1:54, 74.9, -11.1

Final Scores

Tyler "Valence" Sirvinskas, of Flagstaff, 86.0
Evan Dissinger, of Flagstaff, 85.6
The Klute, of Phoenix, 85.5
Josh Wiss, of Flagstaff, 85.3
Frank O'Brien, of Prescott, 84.1
Lauren Perry, of Phoenix, 82.9
Spenser Troth, of Flagstaff, 82.4
Austin Reeves, of Flagstaff, 82.1
Mikel Weisser, of Kingman, 80.2
Gary Every, of Sedona, 77.3
Lauren Hanss, of Flagstaff, 74.9

(The Klute and Lauren Perry declined to join the team, bumping Frank O'Brien and Spencer Troth to the team as alternates).

Photo by Jonathan Weiskopf.

Tyler Sirvinskas aka Valence performs at the 2011 National Poetry Slam in Cambridge, Mass.

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. 

Evan Dissinger. Photo by Kelly Watts.

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.

Josh Wiss

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 was ranked No. 2 going into the grand slam.

Frank O'Brien

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.

Spencer Troth

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.

Chuck Norris plays Mario Cart

Buy your tickets now for today's Sedona Poetry Grand Slam

Buy your tickets the Sedona Poetry Grand Slam now!
Click here to pick your seat!
Proceeds help the team get to the National Poetry Slam in Charlotte, N.C.

 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.

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.

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.

Buy your tickets the Sedona Poetry Grand Slam now and pick your seat

Buy your tickets the Sedona Poetry Grand Slam now and pick your seat!
Proceeds help the team get to the National Poetry Slam in Charlotte, N.C.

 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.

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.

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.

Buy a copy of my new poetry book "The Opposite of Camouflage"

What did I do on my holiday? Made a new book, "The Opposite of Camouflage."

16 poems in a 52-page bound book, available for $9.99

Poems included:

• Welcome to the Church of the Word
• Manifesto of an Addict
• We Call Him Papa
• Spinal Language
• Ragnarok
• The Peach
• Breakfast Cereal
• In the Corners of This Room
• Three Minutes for Dylan
• Do You Have a Baseball Bat?
• My Hands are in the Mail
• The Devil’s Gardens
• Revolution 2.0
• Staring at the Milky Way with One Eye Closed
• Dear Pluto
• They Held Hands

Special thanks to Big Pappa E for suggesting the title.

Click here to buy a copy now

"Manifesto of an Addict" by Christopher Fox Graham

you see I’ve got a problem
I’m addicted to that one thing
that everything that true thing
every moment I’m looking for another fix
wandering from here to there
trying to get just one more hit
you see I'm addicted to humanity
it’s just this power that overwhelms
this power that draws me in
I don’t know what it is
I can’t escape
humanity has me addicted
every time I kiss a girl
talk to a friend
hear the story of a stranger
I get just that much more addicted
and it’s just that much harder to break myself away

when a 75-year-old black man
tells me how he earned a vicious scar on his face
from a near-lynching in 1952
just outside Birmingham, Alabama
I get more addicted
his story
that human story
draws me in

when a mother of two
tells me what it was like
to explain her boys
that daddy is never coming home again
because semi-trucks don’t leave survivors
I get more addicted
her story
that human story
draws me in

when an elderly Jewish matriarch
tells me what was like
to grow up in a Polish concentration camp
to see her family get shot
then rolls up her sleeve to reveal a tattoo of
4
7
3
2
8
carved in the flesh
of her forearm
her story draws me
in every gesture
every feature
every wrinkle crease earned through survival
draws me in
like a moth to a flame,
like a comet to a star

I can’t escape
I tried once
I tried to withdraw once
ever gone through human withdrawal?
I left the world for a day
and it almost killed me
I couldn’t function
I couldn’t act
I couldn’t breathe
I couldn’t walk
I couldn’t talk
do you know what it’s like
for a poet who cannot talk?
a poet who cannot talk
who cannot write
is dead

I had to come back
my addiction keeps me alive
do you know how easy is to get this stuff?
they don’t even sell it
they give it away
I can’t round a corner without getting another hit
and it’s killing me

if I could break his addiction
I could live forever
but what would my life be like without my humanity?
they say we’re all made to die, does that mean we’re all addicted?
are you?
are you?
are you?
I am
I my love my addiction
I want to experience the stories of everyone
because what differs us is just time and space
I want to know what other possibilities my soul had
before it chose this time
this space
this body to occupy
I want to know
I want more and more
I want to do the lines of every human face
I want to walk the features
memorize the names
live the stories that of every human who ever lived and I still want more

I want to feast with Gilgamesh
I want to besiege Troy
I want to drink with Alexander
I want to walk the halls of Camelot
I want to meditate with Buddha
I want to pray with Mohammed
I want to burn with Joan of Arc
I want to ride with Crazy Horse
I want to stand in the streets of Hiroshima with 140,000 other human beings
and feel the skies turn instantly
into the wrath of God
and want to sacrifice myself on Calvary
and become your Messiah
because God
if there is one
was just the first addict

I love being addicted
even if it’s going to kill me
I ask for more
I beg for more
I would sell my soul for more
but what makes this addiction my curse
is that I’m just one man
and I don’t have much time

Christopher Fox Graham © 2000

I guess I never posted this poem online before. Originally just a solo poem, I performed with Nick Fox and Chris Lane as a three-man group poem at the 2001 National Poetry Slam in Seattle.

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.