POETRY SLAM
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 1, 2007

Poet CP Maze Takes Top Honors in Sherman’s Spine Tingling Slam

Fourteen of the Upstate’s hottest poets joined Sherman students and other slam enthusiasts at the college’s second Spine Tingling Poetry Slam on February 24 in the Showroom at Hub-Bub in Downtown Spartanburg.

The event raised more than $1,500 for student scholarships at Sherman College. Check out the photos here.

Poet CP Maze (Charles Perry Jr.) won first place, taking home $300. Second-place winner was Tavis Brunson, who earned $200, and third place winner was Mariangela Mihai, who took home $100. Kimberly Simms of Wits End Poetry and Greenville Slammaster hosted the event.

A poetry slam is, simply put, the competitive art of performance poetry as seen on television and in coffee houses across the nation. A slam puts a dual emphasis on writing and performance, which encourages poets to focus on what they are saying and how they are saying it.

Members of the audience and designated judges evaluated poets for their three-minute, original constructions, without the use of props, costumes or musical instruments. The numerical scores the poets received from the judges were tallied, and the top three poets were awarded cash prizes.

For more information, e-mail Karen Rhodes, Director of Public Relations (krhodes@sherman.edu) or call 864-578-8770, ext. 242.

RULES

What is a Poetry Slam?
A poetry slam is a lyrical battle, a confession from the poet to the audience, spoken prophetically, articulately, expressively, brutally and essentially poetically. It is part performance art, part theatre, part stand-up, and part heart. The poems performed range from heartfelt love poetry and searing social commentary to uproarious comic routines and bittersweet personal confessional pieces. Poets are free to do work in any style on any subject.

Sign-up
Limit 12 poets. Pre-registration is first come, first serve. To register, e-mail Sherman College Vice President for Institutional Advancement Alan Duesterhaus, Ed.D. by noon on Friday, February 23. Poets must check-in by 7:15 p.m. at the slam on Saturday, February 24, to keep their spots.

Rules
1. Must be your own original work.
2. No props, costumes or musical accompaniment.
3. 3-minute time limit. 10-second grace period before time penalties apply. HINT: Time begins the minute the poet engages with the audience – including introductions and miming.

Scoring & Prizes
Poets will be scored on a scale of 0 – 10 by five judges picked randomly from the audience. The highest and the lowest scores are dropped – making the highest possible score 30. The top three poets will be awarded cash prizes ($300, $200, $100).

Format
Three rounds, no repeats. During the first round, all twelve poets perform ONE poem (under 3 minutes). In the second round, the six highest scoring poets perform ONE poem each. During the third round, the three highest scoring poets perform ONE poem each. NO REPEATS means you cannot perform the same poem twice – you need at least three poems to have a chance at winning.

For more information about poetry slams and for tips on slamming, check out:
http://www.witsendpoetry.com/whatisslam.html

For more information, e-mail Karen Rhodes,  Director of Public Relations at Sherman College, or call 864-578-8770 or 800-849-8771, ext. 242.