tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9991864.post113405340322982165..comments2023-08-10T05:24:20.775-04:00Comments on Razing the Bar: Poetry Slam IIAndy Whitmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04010130934552315074noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9991864.post-1134133793500864982005-12-09T08:09:00.000-05:002005-12-09T08:09:00.000-05:00Louise, good point.I'd have to ask him to find out...Louise, good point.<BR/>I'd have to ask him to find out for sure, but I imagine he straight-freestyles a lot less than he used to because even he has to have known that much of that was...diffcult to do well.<BR/><BR/>For the record, I freestyled once, many years ago at Snaps'n'Taps, but it was mostly as a joke. It's not my gift. Thinking about what comes out of my mouth is my head before people hear it is my gift.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9991864.post-1134094931160293302005-12-08T21:22:00.000-05:002005-12-08T21:22:00.000-05:00You all have hit on another part of why shock / ab...You all have hit on another part of why shock / abuse poems drive me a little nuts. Many tend to ignore the fact that all of us have crap in their lives. That abuse is *common*. Rape is *common*. Addiction is *overrepresented* among poets. (I once heard a woman read a piece about an adult on adult rape, but she mentioned being a cutter in it. Now that *is* kind of different -- except it usually indicates child abuse. So she covered up her child abuse by talking about the less hurtful adult on adult abuse. In this case the analysis of her poem is more interesting that the poem itself.)<BR/><BR/>Anyway, I wanted to response to Scott re: Tone's "freestyling" -- I don't think he was totally freestyling. He said to Mary Kim that his second piece was "old" and in response to the Tsunami and he tried to update it with Hurricane Katrina on the fly. And it looked like he was looking at some notes during both of them. So I'm skeptical about how much of Tone's poetry is "freestyle" -- rather it's a pre-made excuse if something goes wrong. Like submitted work to a journal with typos so when it's rejected the poet can point to clerical errors for the rejection.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9991864.post-1134092799284577752005-12-08T20:46:00.000-05:002005-12-08T20:46:00.000-05:00One of Slam's greatest tenets is its open door pol...One of Slam's greatest tenets is its open door policy: everyone from the academics to the hip-hop heads are welcome. The judges determine if they get to stay on the stage, but you get the idea. Slam does not seek to weed out good or bad poets per se; it let's the audience do that, and even then a disproportionally meager sampling of the audience to keep it appropriately ludicrous.<BR/><BR/>To Tone specifically, it bears pointing out that he fashions himself a freestyler - making poems up on the fly with little to no subject instigation - and that generally works against a lot of poets, even ones who do it well.<BR/><BR/>This is an explanation, not an excuse. I generally hate fresstyle poetry unless it's hip-hop.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9991864.post-1134070035016840272005-12-08T14:27:00.000-05:002005-12-08T14:27:00.000-05:00Friends-- All this discussion has really made me l...Friends-- All this discussion has really made me look forward to the next slam! As far as I can tell- criticism is part of what makes the slam fun. I hope to read more poetry and get feedback. And don't worry- my feelings won't be hurt- but I may let the air out of your tires.Jeff Cannellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03232703856341377295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9991864.post-1134069735835735922005-12-08T14:22:00.000-05:002005-12-08T14:22:00.000-05:00Dude, just so you know, I think that this discussi...Dude, just so you know, I think that this discussion is FANTASTIC!<BR/><BR/>How long have the organizers of this event tried to get this kind of discussion going on in our community? This is the first one that has actually 'stuck.'<BR/><BR/>People are talking about poetry! People are discussing it intelligently (the 'yo mama' jokes aside) and passionately.<BR/><BR/>That's great!<BR/><BR/>BTW, I'm also glad Tone read. I just didn't like his poem, I thought he didn't have much to say, so he pulled out the 'controversy' card.<BR/><BR/>But that's what the slam was about, right? People get up, do their thing. People say, "I like it." Or, "I don't like it."<BR/><BR/>Isn't it great that the judging has continued almost a week after the event? Isn't this what it's for?John McCollumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14757876504958350010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9991864.post-1134066108625744262005-12-08T13:21:00.000-05:002005-12-08T13:21:00.000-05:00I've tried to explain the beef. I guess you eithe...I've tried to explain the beef. I guess you either get it or you don't. But I don't really have anything else to say about it.Andy Whitmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04010130934552315074noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9991864.post-1134066004327943902005-12-08T13:20:00.000-05:002005-12-08T13:20:00.000-05:00From a "producers" point of view, I'm very glad th...From a "producers" point of view, I'm very glad that Tone showed up and read. Our cut-off was 12 poets, and out of a house of nearly 70 people, only 8 people signed up. <BR/><BR/>From a "house band" point of view, I enjoyed how he sings then goes into his speaking. <BR/><BR/>I thought Mountain Dew was a white hillbilly drink. It doesn't change how I feel about Tone the person or the poet. <BR/><BR/>What's the beef, the signup sheet was there for everybody.danthresshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07519939413038295776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9991864.post-1134058356242472622005-12-08T11:12:00.000-05:002005-12-08T11:12:00.000-05:00Just to give you a recent(ish) dialogue on this is...Just to give you a recent(ish) dialogue on this issue from deep in the heart of Slam country, here's a link to a journal entry on the matter that sort of exploded a few months back.<BR/><BR/>http://www.livejournal.com/users/pinata/355301.html<BR/><BR/>Just to save us some starting time.<BR/>I did a connecting entry that had some local poet comments on it at the same time here:<BR/><BR/>http://www.livejournal.com/users/scottwoods/72235.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9991864.post-1134056049249911362005-12-08T10:34:00.000-05:002005-12-08T10:34:00.000-05:00Yes, I remember this post from Louise. Did you rea...Yes, I remember this post from Louise. Did you read the Plath piece? It may not only be the first in the genre, but it's so good it could have been the last. <BR/><BR/>Ok, enough about others, what about me. Where does that leave my poem, The Power of Words. How different, at all, is it from what Tone read?<BR/><BR/>And, you could make your point by example Andy. Throw a good one [original] up on your blog and let's have a look.danthresshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07519939413038295776noreply@blogger.com