Rhymes for our times

Rhymes for our times
Poetry slams, such as one held in city Saturday, reviving artform, backers say
Posted By Denis Langlois
Posted 8 hours ago

Energetic, fast-paced, concert-level atmosphere; not phrases typically used to describe poetry.
But at a poetry slam competition, like the one staged Saturday at the Owen Sound library, those descriptors fit.
Poetry slam is spoken word poetry in a competitive format. Each person performs an original piece of poetry, using no props or music, and is rated on a scale of one to 10 by five randomly selected judges.
Officials with the event said it makes poetry more appealing to youth and younger audiences.
“It brings it to almost a concert level at times,” said Dave Silverberg, an organizer of Toronto Poetry Slam.
Silverberg, the host of the event, said slams are not a typical poetry reading but are more interactive and energetic.
The Owen Sound poetry slam was held as part of the fourth annual Words Aloud Spoken Word and Storytelling Festival.
It featured performances by members of the Toronto Slam Team — Arianna Pozzuoli, Krystle Mullin, White Noise Machine and Amanda Hiebert — which represented the city at the 2007 Canadian Festival of Spoken Word.
Participants took turns going on stage to perform a poem — either by themselves or with a “team” — within the three-minute time limit.
The performance was then ranked by each of the five judges. The highest and lowest score are dropped, with the total giving the person a score out of 30.
Kristan Anderson, a Words Aloud Festival committee member, said poetry slam, a 21-year-old art form which started in Chicago, has re-ignited his love of poetry.

FONTE: Owen Sound Sun Times - Owen Sound,Ontario,Canada

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