Virtual Poetry Slam

Sign up to participate or be an audience member here: http://bit.ly/3rz6J5k

In celebration of National Poetry Month, all are invited to attend or participate in the annual poetry slam virtually for the library. All writing abilities are welcome, and mature audiences (teens and older) are encouraged to attend.  This is not an ultra competative contest, and fun should come first. All audience members and participants will be encouraged to vote for their favorite poem (not their own) and there will be one winner for a small prize. Tips for poetry slamming are as follows:

HOW TO WRITE SLAM POETRY (from www.powerpoetry.org)

1. Make your poetry slam original. The written piece must be original. The story being performed for competition needs to be your own work. 
2. Pay attention to time. Each poet has 3 minutes to perform. While practicing your poem, time yourself to make sure you do not go over the time limit (poets lose points for going over 10 or more seconds!).
3. Keep it simple and relatable. Your poem should be able to reach your audience the first time it’s heard. Read and perform it for family & friends before competing. Ask them what is clear and what is not. Choose themes and subjects that many people can relate to, like relationships, politics, religion, insecurity, family-social issues, etc. Your poem should be clear and convey a message.
4. Perform with rhythm and passion. Your poem should have a rhythm that shows through your passionate performance. A slam poem moves the audience through different moods. How the poem is performed is at least as important as the content if not more (no pressure!). If performance isn't your strong suit, try out some of our tips for reading your poems out loud and get advice on stage fright from other slam poets.
5. Practice with Power Poetry. Submit your Slam Poem in a multimedia form to Power Poetry. Watch other slam poems for inspiration, to give/get feedback as you prepare for the stage! You can also compete in any of the open online poetry slams on Power Poetry's site.