So this is a book of poetry, right?
What’s a Poetry Slam? Is it similar to def poetry or other urban forms of rhyme?
When I think "slam," I think more of a certain style, spoken word kinda thing – but can it be other styles of poetry/prose? Is the style of delivery the same for all or different depending on the writer?
What got you into it?
What makes Slam in the Southeast unique from other areas?
Why MoonPie? What’s the significance of the title?
So you were involved? How?
Who should read this?
Who are your slam heroes and why?
Why did you feel the need to write this book?
Does Southern Fried still happen?
So this is a book of poetry, right?
No, it’s not. This is the first thing that confuses most people about this book. It’s a history of Poetry Slam in the Southeast. I wrote it from my notes and memories and from lots of interviews. There’s one poem in 273 pages, and it was written by lots of people at a party following one of the regional Slams.
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What’s a Poetry Slam? Is it similar to def poetry or other urban forms of rhyme?
A Poetry Slam is a competition, a game devised to connect the poets to the audience again. Face it, if we go to poetry readings, we’ve all been to poetry readings where the poets read and the audience doesn’t listen – whether it’s because the poets feel superior to the audience or because the audience is bored with the poets. Slam is a way to change that, and it’s been around for 20 years or so.
And yes, Def Poetry has a lot of Slam poets on its stage.
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When I think "slam," I think more of a certain style, spoken word kinda thing – but can it be other styles of poetry/prose? Is the style of delivery the same for all or different depending on the writer?
It used to be that Slam poets sounded unique. Somewhere along the way, most of them started trying to tap into the style that “worked,” but there are still lots of different styles if you’re willing to listen/look for them. I often miss the days, often covered in my book, where we all sounded different.
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What got you into it?
I wrote poetry, and I was looking for a way to share my works with more than a person at a time. I heard there was a Slam near me, so I dropped in and got to perform for a large audience. The sheer terror of being on stage combined with the sheer joy of having so many people hear my works were enough to keep me there.
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What makes Slam in the Southeast unique from other areas?
The Southeast has a really long-running regional scene. It has an identity all its own. The poets here have a literary reputation to live up to, after all. But really, the big thing is the level of organization and clarity of vision the region had during the 1990s.
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Why MoonPie? What’s the significance of the title?
The first year of Southern Fried, organizer Allan Wolf declared that we’d be playing for a year’s supply of RC Cola and MoonPie. The combo used to be a factory worker’s lunch, so Allan ran with it. Year after year, we came back to that prize, even when we added prize money. And somewhere along the way, we noticed the Chattanooga Bakery made the MoonPie. When I wrote the book, considering how important it was to the whole show, I wanted to honor it. Besides, it’s a pretty memorable title.
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So you were involved? How?
I was a competitor from 1993 to 1999, except during 1997, when I was the organizer. I ran the Slam in Johnson City and started the Slam in Chattanooga.
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Who should read this?
Hmm…Poets, organizers, people who want to run festivals and want to know how frustrating they are, poetry students, literary historians, Southern scholars, Slam poets, the audience from any Southeastern Slam, and my parents, though they’re going to be disappointed when they read it. I don’t think they should read it, but I know they will.
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Who are your slam heroes and why?
In the Southeast? Allan Wolf, Pat Storm, Marty Evans, Patricia Johnson, Xine Toole, Mark Holder, Dan Roop. In the country? Jeff McDaniel, Jack McCarthy, Ray McNiece, and too many other people to mention. These people have a way of writing, of performing, that I wish I had. Of course, some of them could say the same about me.
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Why did you feel the need to write this book?
I was reading a Southern Fried listserv conversation, and someone said that Team Charlotte was going to attend their first Southern Fried that year. The first thought through my head was, “No, they’re not. They were there in 1995.” Then I realized that lots of people don’t know the history, even in their own towns, of Slams in the region. I thought, “Well, I have the notes,” so I sat down and just started writing.
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Does Southern Fried still happen?
Definitely. It’s been annual since it started. 2008 will be held in Tallahassee, FL.
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