I am not an experienced Slam Poet.
I won’t lie. I’ve never been to a slam. Before Thursday, January 27th,
I couldn’t even tell you exactly what it was. Now I’m a believer.
The University of Washington hosted
it’s first Poetry Slam, featuring Saul Williams–an accomplished poet, writer,
and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as being a key figure in bringing Slam to
the mainstream. To see him on stage was a phenomenon in itself. I was not
prepared.
I have now been converted, and I
must repent for my past ignorance. The Husky Den in the lower levels of the
HUB on campus is not a small room. It can hold a few hundred people without
much trouble. The room was packed from wall to wall. There were people
standing outside with their ears pressed to the glass, trying desperately to
hear the words of this small, skinny, black man who dwarfed the room with his
presence.
As he spoke, he waved his arms with
emphasis. Pauses and breaks, rhymes and shakes. He spoke of pain. He spoke
of love. He spoke our thoughts back to us.
My memory is not good enough to
repeat exactly what was said in each 5+ minute piece, but he still left an
impression.
To those who know nothing about
spoken word, take it from someone in the same boat–Slam Poetry is not to be
underestimated. Spend a night and go see what is happening in Seattle. There
is plenty.
