The Great Debate, #632: Is Freestyle Poetry?

Many say it isn't. I say, it depends. One of the arguments against it that I hear the most is that it's unfair to pit a freestyle against a poem that's been crafted over time, edited and revised, etc. If you picked up some slam bias from the "unfair," you nailed the issue. Freestyle is … Continue reading The Great Debate, #632: Is Freestyle Poetry? →

I think I have officially crossed the line and become completely jaded about poetry slam. I've never been so bored at an event as I was at last night's Urbana Finals. Not that it was a terrible show, mind you. It just didn't have the energy of a FINALS! The host, John S. Hall, sucked … Continue reading →

A Curatorial Rant

Back when I was single and just starting out on the poetry scene, I quickly learned one rule of thumb: no matter how attractive, never introduce yourself to a poet until AFTER you've heard them read. There's nothing more awkward than the moment they finish their poem, you realize they're absolutely terrible - or, even … Continue reading A Curatorial Rant →

A Good Night

Most Monday nights are good nights. Tonight was a GOOD night. Between the snow and my running late, I wasn't sure how it was all going to turn out but it ended up being one of those nights that I look to to remind me why I love doing this so much. A fun show … Continue reading A Good Night →

5 Past 13

The first six months in Virginia weren't so bad but, when August came around and I missed my first Nationals since 1998, things began to shift. I came up to visit in the beginning of September, hosted the show that Monday and realized how much I missed it all. I'd not only walked away from … Continue reading 5 Past 13 →

The Revolution Will Be

NOTE: This article was originally published in POETRY IN AMERICA, Poets & Writers Magazine Special Issue, April 1999, and republished in The Spoken Word Revolution, Redux (Sourcebooks MediaFusion, 2007). It was posted to my old GeoCities site in 1999 and was recovered from the Wayback Machine on 10/29/21. Links to Amazon were replaced, everything else is … Continue reading The Revolution Will Be →