Transcripts

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SPEAKER 1: It is a competition. But it's really just a way to get audiences excited about spoken word poetry because it's got a little bit of a spectator sport to it. And the audience is involved because they're judging you, and they're automatically telling you what they think of what you say by writing their score down. So this crowd, it's a lot more dynamic and excited than the usual readings I do.

SPEAKER 2: But it's the audience that judges you. They don't need to have any particular skill in judging you.

SPEAKER 1: No. And it can be-- you could just do fabulous one night, and then think you're doing the same job the next show, and not score nearly as high, just depending on who's in the audience and who the judges are. So it's not really that technical of a measure of your skill. I think it's just a fun way to watch spoken word poetry.

SPEAKER 2: Well, give us an example, if you will, of a poetry slam performance or reading.

SPEAKER 1: OK. I have this one that-- actually, what I did was I assembled two. So I'm just going to do part of it. It's called "Girlfriend Wanted". Wanted, one girlfriend. Must be willing to sit up late at night, giving advice and back rubs. Must be a good listener, must know when to just screw off and leave me alone. I require sex at any given moment. If you are not available, I will seek service from a temporary agency.

Must make coffee, do dishes, appreciate my taste in books and music. Must be available, but not intrusive. Must be charming and clever. Must keep her mouth shut at the appropriate times. Must be willing to participate in any sport I choose. Must not beat me in any of said sports. Must mirror my moods. Must like my friends. If you already have a life, you need not apply.

SPEAKER 2: How did this poem come about.

SPEAKER 1: Well, [LAUGHS] it's short of an amalgamation of ex-boyfriends and just the way that you're expected to provide all these services for them. And they're just ignoring the fact that you're there. I have this one particular ex who inspires a lot of my more vicious, bitter girlfriend stuff. And I think he was the driving factor of this poem.

SPEAKER 2: What do you get out of a poetry slam competition that you don't get when you just read a poem off the page?

SPEAKER 1: Well, I get feedback from the audience. And I think that one of the cool things about poetry slams, or any poetry reading really, is being able to share your work with someone else. And then it becomes an interaction. Even though the audience isn't speaking back to me, I am telling them my personal feelings or my emotions. Or I'm opening myself up, and I'm having a dialogue with them.

And I don't get that when I'm just writing it to myself or reading it out loud in my kitchen. I don't get any sort of feedback. And even though they're not, even if they're not speaking back to me, they can be smiling, or looking at me, or cheering, or not looking at me at all, or something.

And I'm getting energy back from them, whether it's negative or positive, to tell me that I'm getting across what I'm trying to say. Which I think is the most crucial thing, as far as the rules in my writing, are to be as honest as humanly possible, whether or not it embarrasses me, and to be able to portray some sort of emotion or experience as accurately as I can, to be able to put it into words and have someone else get that feeling. And I can tell if I'm telling an audience, then I get that sort of feedback.

SPEAKER 2: Is it important to please the audience?

SPEAKER 1: No. I often say things that are very displeasing, especially to men. They tend to be offended by what I say sometimes. And that's fine. It's important to have an effect. It's important to be listened to. So whether they're horribly offended or they're just crazy in love with what you did, they're listening. If they're just tepid or they're like, what did you read? I kind of was, you know. Then that's bad. I want to be dynamic enough to catch attention and have them listen to whatever it is I'm saying.