ELEVATED
ENTERTAINMENT
August 8 – 12, 2017
Denver, Colorado
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Suzi Q. Smith
Main: 720-985-7128
Email: [email protected]
Denver to host National Poetry Slam 2017
August 16, 2016 – In 2015, Denver was selected
through a competitive bid process to become one of the
anchor cities of the National Poetry Slam, which means
that Denver will host the event every five years. For the
first time, the National Poetry Slam will come to Denver
August 7 – 12, 2017. In its 28th year, the National
Poetry Slam (NPS) is a Poetry Slam, Inc. event that
brings together hundreds of poets from all over North
America, and thousands of audience members.
The National Poetry Slam is the annual poetry slam
championship tournament, wherein four-to five-person
teams from all over North America gather to compete
against each other for the national team title. The weeklong festival is part championship tournament, part
poetry summer camp, and part traveling exhibition.
NPS is the largest team performance poetry event in the
world.
So what’s poetry slam you ask? Great question! A
poetry slam is essentially a poetry competition where
individuals or teams deliver an original poem in front
of an audience, from which five random judges are
selected. Each judge scores the poem on content,
originality and performance with a score from 0-10 with
1 decimal point – yes, like the Olympics! The team with
the highest cumulative score from all team members and
rounds wins the bout. At the National Poetry Slam, each
team will compete at least twice, against 3 other teams.
Scores are calculated across the tournament, and at
the end of the third night we know who will move on
to Semi-Finals and Group Piece Finals. After four SemiFinals bouts, we take the winner of each to move on to
Finals, from which the champions are chosen. The prize
for winning is giant sword-through-a-stack-of-books
trophy along with a cash award. And more importantly,
bragging rights.
The Denver planning committee is currently seeking
partners to provide sponsorships, grants, and donations
to help make NPS Denver the best one yet! With
important partners like the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation
already on board, we know that we can make this an
unforgettably beautiful event. Events will take place in
downtown Denver and Five Points, along the Welton
Street Corridor. Don’t miss this opportunity to be a part
of it!
For more information visit www.poetryslam.com. Plenty
of volunteers will be needed to make this a success, so
stay tuned for updates on how to get involved!
About Poetry Slam, Incorporated
Poetry Slam, Inc. (PSi) is the official non-profit
organization that crafts the rules and vision adhered to by
the overwhelming majority of poetry slams worldwide.
Based in Chicago, Ill., the birthplace of poetry slam,
PSi provides the infrastructure for a predominantly
North American coalition of poetry slams and makes
the annual National Poetry Slam possible as a place to
pool ideas and share creative resources to ensure the
future growth and recognition of slam.
Press Contact:
Suzi Q. Smith
Phone: 720-985-7128
Email: [email protected]
About
the National Poetry Slam
The National Poetry Slam (NPS) is the world’s largest performance poetry festival in which up to 80 teams of the
country’s best poets compete for the championship title. Thousands of participants, fans and volunteers converge
upon one city for six full days and nights, offering a stage to voices from many different cultures and backgrounds.
Poetry Slam, created in the 1980s, now reaches millions online with its highly inclusive and accessible style of original
performance poetry. In addition to slam events and competitions, NPS 2017 will host a variety of workshops and
themed open mics at multiple venues to showcase all that the Mile High City has to offer. Follow @nationalpoetryslam
on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Brought to you by
Poetry Slam, Inc. is the official 501(c)(3) non-profit organization charged with overseeing the international coalition
of poetry slams. The mission of Poetry Slam Incorporated (PSI) is to promote the performance and creation of poetry
while cultivating literary activities and spoken word events in order to build audience participation, stimulate creativity,
awaken minds, foster education, inspire mentoring, encourage artistic statement and engage communities worldwide
in the revelry of language.
The Denver Mercury Slam is now one of the oldest running poetry slams in the United States and is home to the
2006 National Poetry Slam Championship team. Since 1999, the Denver Mercury Cafe () has hosted its poetry slams
every Sunday, beginning at 8p.m.
SlamNUBA is an award-winning performance poetry event based in Denver, Colorado and the home of the 2011
National Poetry Slam Championship team. The SlamNUBA collective presents a feature poet, open mic & slam event
every last Friday of every month at The Crossroads Theater in the historic 5 Points district in Denver.
Here Hear is a vibrant and emerging poetry slam community representing the Pikes Peak Region in Colorado Springs
and the home of the 2014 National Poetry Slam Group Piece Champions. Founded in 2011, Here Hear hosts two
monthly slams and is a component fund of the Pikes Peak Community Foundation.
Interview with the
Director Suzi Q Smith
What is poetry slam?
To put it simply, slam is the art of performing one’s
original poetry in a timed and competitive setting.
More importantly, slam can be a spectacular fusion of
storytelling, social and political advocacy, satire and
soliloquy. And although audience members are randomly
selected to give each performance points, we like to say
“the point is poetry”.
What is NPS?
The National Poetry Slam (NPS) is the world’s largest
poetry slam tournament. Teams of poets ranging from
rookies to legends put their best work forward to devastate
their competition from various regions, states, and cities
across the country. In addition to dozens of breathtaking
bouts, NPS also offers workshops, open mics and late
night events in the spirit of any true festival.
Why is NPS coming to Denver?
Why not? Denver has a dynamic arts and culture scene
that boasts a vast variety of art galleries, community
theatres, dance companies, music genres and, of course,
poetry slams. For our host city team, bringing NPS to
Denver is more than an opportunity to introduce the
city to new poetry; it is an opportunity to introduce the
growing city to new voices.
How will NPS2017 be different than WoWPS in
2012?
The Women of the World Poetry Slam (WoWPS) is an
individual poetry slam providing a unique platform for
women’s voices to be heard. NPS is a team competition
in which poems may be performed by individuals and
groups of up to five people from varying genders and
backgrounds. NPS2017 is sure to demonstrate diversity
in style as well as representation, giving audiences an
all-inclusive experience in poetry slam.
What is the legacy of slam in Denver?
Well, let’s see. Denver is the home of 1 Individual World
Poetry Slam Champion, 2 Women of the World Poetry
Slam champions, 2 National Poetry Slam championship
teams and countless top finalists in all poetry slam events.
The Denver Mercury Café has served as the flagship
venue for Denver’s poetry slam community for the past
eighteen years. While we do have immensely talented
poets in our scene, it is the consistent love and support
of poetry slam shown weekly by our community and
audiences that truly sets Denver poetry slams apart from
others.
Is poetry dead?
How can something that is always growing ever die?
Denver also have a very strong youth poetry slam scene
which ensures that poetry will not only continue to live
on through them but that the love of spoken word also
be shared continually. Open mics, readings, ciphers,
and competitions ensure that there is a poetry event
happening in the Denver Metro area on almost a daily
basis. It is no harder to find poets or poetry anywhere
today than it is to find a Starbucks – they’re everywhere!
praise for wowps
denver 2012
The Women of the World Poetry Slam marks
Denver’s largest slam gig to date
West word, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2012
BY KELSEY WHIPPLE
Denver’s share of the country’s slam-poetry scene is
already a large one, with two nationally competitive
teams and a role as the reigning national champion city.
But from March 7 to 10, its role will grow even bigger as
Denver hosts its first national slam competition, the fiveyear-old Women of the World Poetry Slam. Sponsored
by Poetry Slam, Inc., the four-day event (mentioned in
this week’s cover story, “Slam, Bam, Thank You, Ma’am”)
will attract hundreds of international poets to compete for
the art’s top female spot.
This hosting gig is both an opportunity for visiting poets to
experience the city’s slam scene and a chance for Denver
to prove itself. In addition to celebrating women in poetry,
Denver will be able to strut its organizational stuff and put
itself in position for larger hosting roles (including, ahem,
the National Poetry Slam). The city’s swath of styles and
artists makes it a prime candidate for a major presence
on the national scene.
“You have to put in a bid like it’s the Olympics or
something,” says Suzi Q. Smith, one of the organizers
of Denver’s Women of the World Poetry Slam. Last year,
Denver’s first offer to host the National Poetry Slam was
shut down, which made local poets “twice as excited
when we were approved to host such a huge event for
female poets in 2012,” she notes.
In order to earn the gig, Denver’s organizers underwent
an extensive vetting process to prove that both the city’s
cultural and marketing talents were sufficient to host a
large-scale event. “We’re going to do this in style,” Smith
promises. “The entire process has been pretty stressful,
but in the end we’re going to dazzle. I don’t feel like we
have that much to prove, but we’ll prove it either way.”
Those who missed earlier chances to make it on the
competition’s roster can begin their time at WOW with
one last opportunity to join. On March 7, the first twelve
poets to sign up for the Last Chance Slam will earn an
opportunity to compete for the competition’s final slot.
That same night includes a welcome party in preparation
for the rounds split across three venues -- Leela European
Cafe, Eden and the Mercury Cafe -- for the next three
days. The final round will be at the Denver Art Museum
on March 10.
But the weekend is not all about competition: In between
slam bouts, both the poets and their audiences can
participate in a spectrum of events that includes physical
competition, writing workshops, hip-hop, obstacle
courses and the opportunity for the men in the crowd to
show the love (for their women).
Grand Slam: National Poetry Competition
Coming to Denver
303 Magazine, Februar y 29, 2012
by Betsy Defnet
Got something that you need to get off your chest ladies?
Looking for a new way to express yourselves? Slam
poetry could be your calling…or at least an awesome
event to check out. Denver has been selected as the host
of the 2012 Women of the World Poetry Slam (WOWps)
which will be held March 7–10, 2012—this will be the
biggest poetry slam event ever to be hosted in the state
of Colorado. “‘Opening up our arms and welcoming the
international slam poetry community to our city is a great
honor—and responsibility,’” says Host City Co-Chair
and 2011 WOWps 3rd place finalist Suzi Q. Smith, ‘“I
look forward to working with Denver’s arts and business
communities to make this event a huge success.’”
What exactly is slam poetry? Smith explains that, “Slam
poetry is a competitive performance-poetry movement
born to Marc Kelly Smith in Chicago in the mid-eighties.
Poets sign up to read their own original work in three
minutes or less [typically], while five random audience
members are chosen to judge.” Judges use a scale of
1–10 to judge the contestants and those with the highest
scores advance. The poet with the highest score at the
end of the third round is crowned the winner. No props or
costumes are permitted for the contestants.
The WOWps tournament is originated for and facilitated
by women and serves to honor women, and the popularity
of WOWps only continues to grow: “The Women of the
World Poetry Slam is open to 72 competitors from around
the world. This year, 98 [women] signed up, which means
that we have a significant waiting list,” notes Smith. Event
attendees can watch the preliminary poetry slams where
the 72 women will be judged on their original poems,
presentation, and creativity and compete for 12 Finals’
spots.
Over the four-day period, WOWps offers numerous
day events like open mics, haiku competitions, writing
and marketing workshops, and a youth poetry slam,
while the evening provides open mics and team slam
competitions. Most of the day events are free or are
complimentary with a Denver Art Museum admission,
and the majority of the night events cost around $5.
Smith suggests not missing the festival kick-off event, The
Last Chance Slam, Saturday’s workshops and open mic
events, and, of course, the Women of the World Poetry
Slam Finals. During the Slam Finals, which takes place
from 7–10 p.m. at the Denver Art Museum, 12 women
will be whittled down in three rounds to produce a sole
slam champion who will receive a trophy, cash prize,
and major bragging rights. If you can’t slam it out, you
can always dance it out at the dance-party afterparty at
Stoney’s Bar & Grill following the Slam Finals.
Slam Nuba’s Dominique Ashaheed wins 2012
Women of the World Poetry Slam
MARCH 12, 2012
BY KELSEY WHIPPLE
If there’s any winner in the Women of the World Poetry
Slam, it’s Denver, first figuratively and now literally. The
international championship, in its fifth year and Denver’s
first as the host city, kicked off Thursday and held its
second preliminary round on Friday before ending with
two X chromosomes and one winner Saturday night at
the Denver Art Museum.
After four days of competition, Denver’s own Dominique
Ashaheed took home the title.
Can we say poetic justice?
This is not Ashaheed’s first rodeo. The poet already
holds another national championship title for her role on
Denver’s 2011 Slam Nuba roster. Women of the World,
which places Denver in the running to host future and
larger slam gigs, is now the city’s second concurrent
national title. But after maintaining the highest overall
rank through both preliminary rounds, it seems the only
person who is surprised by Ashaheed’s final victory is the
poet herself.
Two days after her international win, Ashaheed has yet
to recover from the final round, in part because she still
hasn’t adjusted to Slam Nuba’s national win in August. It
was never her intention to compete in WOW this year, in
large part because of the stress and anxiety that comes
with it, but as Nuba’s only female member, it was her
responsibility to represent the team.
“I have to be really honest with you: I’m still feeling really
disembodied from it all,” Ashaheed admits. “The first
night was honestly just about trying to power through it,
trying to ignore the fact that I’m on the same stage as
women like (2009 WOW winner) Rachel McKibbens
and (2011 winner) Theresa Davis, all these women I have
huge respect and all these powerful feelings for. It was
otherworldly.”
The 37-year-old poet is a mother of three sons and a
daughter, children who range in age from three to thirteen
and provide fodder for both her poetry and perspective.
As she progressed through the competition over the past
few days, Ashaheed continued to surprise herself through
her interactions onstage and with her two coaches,
Jen Rinaldi and Ayinde Russell. Although her original
motivation was simply to “push through” to the end, the
Denver poets worked with her on a change in strategy
she was loathe to undergo: “They both suggested that
instead of powering through it with this politically active,
aggressive, throw-your-black-fist-in-the-air vibe, I
[instead] tap into this shadowy, vulnerable area of myself
that I didn’t know I was ready to let out so completely. It
was difficult.”
Through early poems dedicated to police brutality and a
childhood crush, Ashaheed prepared to peel back what
she calls, her voice choking up, a “huge emotional layer.”
Each round became a progression into her vulnerability
so that the second night, after realizing she would stand
on the finals stage at the Denver Art Museum’s Ponti Hall
the next day, Ashaheed wept. By then, she knew exactly
which three poems she would perform her last night -- and
in what order. The structure was dictated by necessity: By
the third poem, she would not be able to continue.
On Saturday night, Ashaheed turned to “Karma” to
begin her final appearance. The poem covers her struggle
with the tragedy she witnesses regularly on the evening
news and the realization that, despite her interpretation
of it through poetry, she is incapable of preventing any of
it. For the evening, Ashaheed made it her goal to travel
through three states of expression: first anger and outrage,
then sadness and confusion until finally, searching for an
epiphany, she intended to empty herself onstage. Her
next poem, “Stargazer,” played the central role, letting
the audience in on the moment she lost her virginity.
Because the choice, she points out, was hers.
“During this competition, I heard many women speak
about rape, about molestation, about abuse from men,
but I didn’t hear anyone speak out about afterward, about
the reclamation of their body and spirit,” Ashaheed says.
“It was a critical venture in claiming my body for myself
because I had been molested as a child. I walked around
the planet for a long time feeling broken and thinking
there’d be no hallelujah for me. When the moment is
over, when he’s asleep afterward, he has no idea what
this moment meant to me, but now an entire audience
does.”
In the end, it was Ashaheed’s final poem that became the
most significant moment of her 2012 WOW experience.
The inspiration for it was a long time in coming: Although
written relatively recently, “For Emmett Till” tackles the
death of the African-American fourteen-year-old in 1955
after he was believed to have flirted with a white woman.
But like most of her poems, the surface level is only the
introduction.
As a child, Ashaheed’s mother discovered Till’s story
inside a copy of Jet magazine her grandmother
strategically placed on the living room coffee table. The
truth was traumatic, and it became a strange tradition.
“Years later, I found myself watching a documentary
dealing with the same topics when my thirteen-year-old
song came in, happy and unaware, and asked what I
was watching,” Ashaheed says. So she invited him to
watch, and Saturday she referenced him inside the poem
that resulted. “I knew I was traumatizing him to protect
him, that I was doing the same thing my grandmother did.
When it was over, he had no language to give it at all.”
Ashaheed’s eventual win came with a margin of only
.1 point over second-place poet Porsha Olayiwola, the
partial result of a time penalty she incurred during “For
Emmett Till.” While she practiced the poem earlier in the
evening, Russell and Rinaldi clocked her performance at
five minutes and twenty seconds, significantly over the
limit. But even after cutting large sections out of the poem
to take it down to size, Ashaheed found herself reciting
some of the abandoned portions from memory during the
finals.
“I saw the hands going up, and I didn’t care,” she says.
“I didn’t care about any of it because I knew I was going
to get an opportunity to perform that poem, and I was
speaking about my family, my legacy and the struggles
of the world at that precise moment.”
Ashaheed also earned the night’s first perfect 10 score
for her shortened rendition of “For Emmett Till,” available
in various video forms online. After the 72 participants
were whittled down to twelve, Kait Rokowski took third
while Joanna Hoffman took the fourth place spot. While
she continues to contemplate the victory’s effects on her
own life, Ashaheed sees the title -- and the gig behind it
-- as a broker of change in Denver’s slam future.
“I think it’s important because we did it well,” she says.
Right now, the city’s poetry powers that be continue
to contemplate entering a bid to host the national
championship. “Tons of people told me it was the best
WOW they had seen yet, the best finals stage the
competition has ever had. I continue to be shocked when
people are surprised at Denver’s success.”
In the meantime, the experience reinforced Ashaaheed’s
need to abandon her internal narrative, the one that tells
her, periodically, that she is not enough. The one that
would be wrong. “I’m learning to let that go, to realize
it’s just a tape in my head,” Ashaheed says. “In the end, I
didn’t keep anything for myself. I emptied myself on that
stage, and I have nothing left.”