Solid collection lacking a full historical perspective

books:


	• Poetry Slam: The Competitive Art of Performance Poetry Manic D Press, Inc., 2000 - 237 pages average customer review:based on 10 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Solid collection lacking a full historical perspective

3.5 stars, really. This anthology is a solid collection representing a wide range of voices STILL involved in the National Poetry Slam scene. Unfortunately, many voices are left out precisely because they are no longer involved in the scene which weakens the collection's importance as an historical document. Nevertheless, the poetry selected, along with the mixed bag of essays, makes this an invaluable supplement to ALOUD, still the king of "poetry slam" anthologies.

Romanticizes While It Educates

"Poetry Slam" by Gary Mex Glazner is part-anthology, part-history, part-description of slams, slam poets, and slam poetry. It romanticizes the image and description, but excels as a history. As an anthology, it has much room for improvement, but this could be a result of the limits of performance poetry.

Kerouac's ghost must wonder at how formulaic slam poetry has become. From the aggressive, ideological depth of Ginsberg and Burroughs, we now have the regurgitated flavors of Whitman-wannabes evoked pretentiously in the pop-soliloquys now barraging modern poetry readings. Yet, the slam has introduced thousands of young poets that poetry is worth their time. Glazner demonstrates this inconsistency, but not intentionally as we see the up and down quality of the poetry samples he provides.

An excellent part of the book is the description of poetry slam rules, distinguishing local and national rules, and how this form is meant as an oral art form, not a written one. This is the challenge faced by every slam poetry book: how to present it. Some poems here make the transition, and there a few gems worth a read. Marc Smith, founder of the slam, has "My Father's Coat." An interesting poem called "Ali" by Michael R. Brown. opens with the compelling "Five inches shorter than his fighting height" shows some fine imagery and intriguing approaches to poetry meeting culture.

For a deeper look at Beat literature, see the "Beat Reader," or for poetry only, "Beat Poets" edited by Carmela Ciuraru. "Poetry Slam" is a good start, but these books will provide better examples of the style and quality slam poets esteem to reach.

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

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A good breaking-in for first time readers

One of the most accesible books around for anyone even remotely interested in poetry. If you've never been to an open mic or a slam, give this one a whirl...it'll make you want to go (and maybe even slip a poem in your pocket before you lock the door). If you've been to an open mic and wondered what else was out there that was like what you just saw, this book captures a great many of those elements for you.

Not just a book of poems, throughout the work are placed a great many essays written by long-time, well-known National slam poets (Taylor Mali, Danny Solis, etc.) about nearly every aspect of reading and performing one's work...a long-overdue codification of information for performing poets at ANY level.

Some of the poems contained within are national favorites, a few legend, but they ALL contain a lesson about performance poetry: that it starts on the page.

A MUST have for any poet who is (or is considering) performing their poetry before audiences in any capacity. A necessary bit of packing for any poet with national aspirations of slamming, touring or just reading.

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Bells & whistles, but no bang!

OK, OK, poetry may be said to *start* on the page, but you'd never know it from this book. For the beginner, these pages will seem gobbledygook. You'll miss the point; like reading a menu instead of eating the meal. Lacking a CD, the book suffers - ergo, the poets & poetry suffers, too. These poems were meant to be *performed*, not read, & not even being read aloud helps. There's perhaps a too-subtle difference between poetry and the performance arts for most people, but it's there nonetheless. Poetry is based on the sounds it makes, and the rhythms, and yes, the shades of meaning and feeling, but that's like saying a script is a poem. Are these arguments for academics? Is this the kind of divisiveness that, for many, killed poetry in high school? You gte to decide. But if, after reading this book you're left with that achy old feeling of "Is that all there is?", then don't be surprised. It's like you asked a goose to honk like a truck; it's like you asked morning to break like glass; it's like you expected sweet romance & got the Pillsbury doughboy. You missed the (crucial) point. The book's mostly performance art, not necessarily poetry. Like describing chocolate. ("It's brown and tastes good." What else does that?) What's poetry? "If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me, I know *that* is poetry. If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know *that* is poetry." - Emily Dickinson. Very little in this book even moved me.

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JIGGA WHAT?! GIMME SOME MO'

i like totally hated this book. it was so wack to the mostest. really, just lame-o spazmodica. and furthermore, i know 98 percent of the people in this book personally. they're real square wizzies. a big bunch if icky-poo momo's. their work is so fake. it's not even them. half of the people writing female poetry are men. half of the men writing female poetry are fat. half of the young people writing old poetry are dead. half of the dead people writing new poetry are zombies. like, real zombies. don't buy this. but i did love beau sia's stuff for some random reason. like love as in marriage. so do buy this. he gets tons of profits from it. but don't tell the other poets. cuz they don't. it's all top secret. like spies.

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reviews: page 1, 2

Poetry slams-the Olympics of poetry-have become a cultural phenomenon. This groundbreaking anthology documents 10 years of poetry slams, with 100 poems from national slam champions and a dozen essays on how to run a slam, winning strategies, tips for memorizing poems, and more.

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