Our next Slam is Sunday July 27th at the Dripolator 144 Biltmore Ave. @ 7:oo pm 3$ Admission – All proceeds go to the top three Poets and supporting the Slam. There are three official rounds, and if time allows we have an improv round. The Rebirth of the Asheville Slam is underway! Our first Slam in October was a great success as was our December slam. We anticipate building on that success in coming months as we move towards taking a small group to the Nationals in Madison Wisconsin in August 2008. { Although we hope to take an Asheville contingent, we will likely not be prepared to compete as a team, until 2009 } Starting in February the Slam will be every month. It will alternate between Bo Bo Gallery and Dripolator coffeehouse. Please stay in touch to stay clear about days and times. It’s always on the last sunday of the month and always starts at 7. May Slam at the Dripolator. June Slam at Bo Bo’s . . . and so on. Asheville won the Nationals in 1995, sent a team to nationals in 1999, and 2003 but has not sent a team since. { to the best of my current knowledge at least. I keep getting educated by people slightly miffed that they havent gotten their props. Please be patient. I simply don’t know it all. Not yet anyway, hardy har har} Please see comment below recognizing those who came before. Also, Asheville pioneered the team piece in Slam format and at the nationals, which have now become some of the most memorable performances in slam competition, and which Charlotte {who won the 2007 Nationals! All props to Bluz, Paul D, Sheba, Q, and all our brethren from Slam Charlotte} is now renowned for. We believe it is time to reclaim our potential and history/herstory as one of the founding teams of current slam popularity. Please join us and support us, as participant or witness. For we are your local Poet’s bringing living breathing Poetry to you in your community, and seeking to represent this fine city on the National’s Stage.
The second Slam of Asheville was another great success,and very intimate. Two people read from their journals spontaneously, and this is a beautiful sharing. There was such a sense of genuine community and respect for all the Poet’s . . . so sweet.
Poets, you were amazing, in your sincerity and humility and beauty. Silent Knight hailing from New Jersey was the official winner, but truly we were all winners, and everyone recognized this. Jamila came in second, with Provost in a strong and vibrant third. a big hearty THANK YOU!!! to all the Poets, supporters, and lovers of Poetry. Please keep coming out,
checking in here for future dates and venues,
and keep sharing those gifts.
Please spread the word about the Slam far and wide.
with Love and many Blessings,
Kapila . . .
“you’re humble Asheville slammaster and Poetic servant”
Let me give some props to those who came before. It’s only a partial list, and as people let me know I would love to honor you here.
I, Asheville, and the rich history of Asheville’s contributions to the slam, are indebted to you forever.
Thank you! Thank You! Thank You!
Alan Wolf – {Master Alumni and original torchbearer} – Cecil Bothwell – Terry Creech, Frankie Bolt, Nick Fox, Lucy Anderton, A J Geil – {“Slammaster”}, Carrie Gerstman, Charles Somerville, James Nave {Legendary Slammaster and most excellent Poetic Mentor to so many} – Kim Holzer and all the others still unnamed, who came before and have carried the Light of Poetry in, and for Asheville and for all of us who follow in their footsteps.
yeah i got an e-mail saying i should do my homework on the asheville SLAM teams. i have no clue as to why this e-mail was sent to me, i do not consider myself a SLAM poet and i dont know why i need to learn the history of ashevilles past slam teams.if you went to the nationals in 1996,1999 or 2004 really doesnt matter to me in the slightest bit.i hope there is a team in 2008 and if i am on the team i hope that i do not have to remember every single year that asheville went on to the nationals. i hope with all these poets coming forward about being on past teams will stop talking about the past and lead us into the future. not that i dont think we should respect people who have come before us but i never claimed to know a damn thing about anything having to do with slam poety. if someone were to ask me if asheville has ever been to nationals before i would probably say yes but i dont know the years they went. i dont feel there is any need for me to knwo the years that asheville was in the nationals and i dont like feeling like just because i write poetry i am somehow obligated to know this
if you were ever on a national SLAM team before, good for you but dont try to come at me like that is some “need to know” info for me. i dont know about asheville slam teams history and i dont like feeling forced to learn it
Is there still poetry in Asheville? Maybe it’s a bad question???