We're on MYSPACE!!! - Add us as your friend! (www.myspace.com/dcslam)
SLAM FAQ
Portions of this material are supplied from PSI's official website, www.poetryslam.com and Marc "Slam Papi" Smith's website, www.slampapi.com. If you would like more information about Slam, The National Poetry Slam Competition or PSI, Inc., please visit their website.
Q: What is slam?
Q: Where does the money we pay at the door go?
Q: How can I support the DC/Baltimore Slam Team?
Q: What are the rules of slam?
Q: How do I make the DC/Baltimore slam team?
Q: Are there any age limitations for NPS?
Q: What are qualifying points & "No Repeats"?
Q: What is the Last Chance Slam & How Does That Work?
Q: Does DC Slam and/or SLAMicide follow National Poetry Slam Rules?
Q: How can I become a member of PSI?
Q: Does PSI have a website?
Q: Does the National Poetry Slam have a website?/How do I find out more about the National Poetry Slam?
Q: How do I interact with other members of this large slam community throughout the world?
-from slampapi.com
Simply put, poetry slam is the competitive art of performance poetry. It was established in the mid-80s by Marc Kelly Smith, a then construction worker, as a means to heighten public interest in poetry readings. Since then, slam has evolved into an international art form emphasizing audience involvement and poetic excellence.
Where does the money we pay at the door go?
At our monthly reading for DC Slam, there is no cover charge. However, at our regular readings (the weekly DC Slam weekly series, currently on hiatus and SLAMicide, our sister venue in Baltimore, MD) all persons except for staff and feature are required to pay a $5 cover charge. The money that you pay at the door goes to pay our featured poet/performer, as well as cash prizes that are given to the first place winner (2nd & 3rd place if the slam is larger than six people) of the slam. All excess monies go to pay for venue certification, registration expenses for the National Poetry Slam (NPS), individual World Poetry Slam (iWPS) and the Women of the World Poetry Slam (WOWps), operations costs for both DC Slam and SLAMicide, as well as helping to curb travel and lodging expenses for the DC/Baltimore Slam team when they go to the aforementioned competitions. Both DC Slam and SLAMicide do not retain any monies made from the door for personal gain. If you decide that you wish to give more than the $5 cover charge (or just want to give money at our free monthly reading series), you are more than welcome to do so and we thank you for your support.
How can I help support the DC/Baltimore Slam Team?
If you would like to donate monies to help support the DC/Baltimore Slam Team, you can do so by giving extra money at the door of either venue; by donating frequent flyer miles to get us to NPS/iWPS/WOWps; by purchasing products from our store; or as well as donating to us through our paypal acct: store@dcslam.com (there is a donation option also available on the front page of this site as well as through our store.
The rules of slam are simple (extracted and paraphrased from poetryslam.com):
- Poets: Each poet has 3 minutes to perform an original piece. Time starts from your first utterance or introductory gesture (which is determined by the timekeeper). In that three minutes, the poet can not use props, costumes, accompanying music of any kind outside that which they can make with their own bodies, as well as no nudity or animal acts. For every rule that is broken, the poet will receive a one point penalty. After the three minutes, each poet has a grace period of 10 seconds to wind up their piece. For every 10 seconds they go over, the poet will receive a half point penalty, until their time reaches 4 minutes and 1 second, which is when the host/emcee will stop the performance (you should NEVER slam with a poem more than three minutes long!).
- Judges & Scoring: Five judges are randomly picked from the audience and can not have an affilitation/relationship of any kind with the competitors. Each judge is given two sets of scores, numbered 0 - 10 on each set. Using these cards, the judges will judge each poet on content & performance. While we do not encourage scoring someone lower for lack of memorization, we leave that in the hands of the judges. The judges will give each poem a score from 0.0 to 10.0 (anything higher will ONLY count as a 10.0). All judges are encouraged to use both sets of score cards so as to make sure there will be less chance of a tie. Judges do NOT have to worry about figuring the time penalty on any poet or violation of the aforementioned rules, as that is taken care of in score calculation by the host/emcee as well as time/scorekeeper. For display purposes of the host/emcee as well as the audience, the whole number goes in your right hand, the decimal number in the left. Scores will NOT be read until all five scores are up. Once they are up, please keep them up until all scores are read. Scoring is done Olympics style, where the highest and lowest scores are dropped and the middle three are added together. The highest possible score a poet can recieve is a 30.0. Remember to be fair and consistent.
- Audience: This isn't necessarily a rule, but more of a voice of encouragement. The audience's job is very simple. Their job is to sway the judges. If the audience agrees with the way the judge is scoring, by all means, let them know via applause and cheers. If the audience disagrees with the way the judge is scoring, then by all means let them know via boos and jeers. JUDGES...do NOT be swayed by your audience. We MUST note that harassment (i.e. threatening, throwing items at our judges, unfavorable behavior of any kind, etc.) of the judges is NOT allowed.
How do I get on the DC/Baltimore slam team?
There is only one way to make the DC/Baltimore slam team. You have to compete throughout the season, make it to semi finals, then finals and if you earn one of the top four spots, then you make the team!
The DC/Baltimore slam team is comprised of slammers who represent both the DC Slam Poetry Series and the SLAMicide poetry series. All season long (usually Mid-May thru Mid-April of the following year), slammers compete for qualification points in order to make it to semi-finals. All slams are open to everyone (provided they make the signup). Because we only have 12 slots to fill, we sign people up on a first come first served basis. Slammers can not participate in the open mic if they intend to slam later that evening. After they have received the required number of qualification points, they are immediately thrown into semi finals for the venue where they accumulated their 8 points (either DC Slam or SLAMicide). We take the top four people from each semi-final and have them duke it out in the finals and the top four from that night make up the DC/Baltimore Slam Team!!!
Are there any age limitations for NPS?
(extracted and paraphrased from the Hellslam Message board via a question directed to Steve Marsh, Executive Director of PSI):
The SlamMasters Council passed a resolution a couple of years ago permitting the National Poetry Slam to be a 21 and over event but allowing the local host committee to amend downward to 18 and over if they could. Under 18 is no longer an option as the Youth National Poetry Slam should cover that population. Currently, you can find out information about the National Youth Slam at www.bravenewvoices.org.
What are qualifying points & "No Repeat"?
Over the course of our season, each poet that competes must earn a minimum of 10 qualifying points in order to compete in our semi final competition. The top three places in each slam accumulate points in this order:
3rd place = 1 qualifying point
2nd place = 2 qualifying points
1st place = 3 qualifying points
Theme slams: poems used in a theme slam can be used again during the season.
Scrimmages: Teams participating in scrimmages are awarded points for competition using the same QP scale as individual points. Poems used for a scrimmage can be used again during the season.
3rd place team = 1 qualifying point
2nd place team = 2 qualifying points
1st place team = 3 qualifying points
In order to keep things fair, the "no repeat rule" was instituted. "No Repeat" means that a poet can only win with a poem (or set of poems, if the slam is two rounds) once. Once the poet has won with that poem (or set of poems, if the slam is two rounds), that poem will no longer be eligible for points, unless they place higher in a later slam. The pre-existing points, if lower, are then removed and replaced with the higher rank. It is preferred, and suggested that a poet does not repeat a poem until semi-finals, when everyone's slate is wiped clean. If they choose to use it again and win, they will not accumulate qualifying points with that poem. Poets can not repeat poems between semi-finals and finals (but can use other poems throughout the season, unless they qualify through the last chance slam).
What is the Last Chance Slam & How Does That Work?
For those of you developing a last minute interest in becoming a part of one of the most love-filled and exciting slam teams in the country, Slamicide! presents to you the brand new, saucy, provocative, LAST CHANCE SLAM!!!!!
That's right folks! Even if you haven't earned your ten qualifying points from competing in weekly slams throughout the season, you still have a shot to compete in semis and finals for a spot on the DC/Baltimore National Poetry Slam team!
"How do I get in on this?", you may ask.
"Quite easily", we may respond.
As long as you have earned at least one qualifying point somewhere during the season (check the standings page to determine if you qualify), you just need to show up at Slamicide (XandO Cafe, 3003 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD) on the Monday that immediately precedes Baltimore's semi-finals (check calendar for schedule) and sign up for the slam. In addition to awarding cash and qualifying points to the top three slammers, we will also award a slot in semi-finals to the highest ranking slammer who hasn't already gotten into semis. Technically, this means that you might not even have to win the slam, just be the highest ranked poet THAT NIGHT!
"What's the catch?" you may ask? Good call, because making it into semis via the Last Chance Slam does come at a bit of a price. Our Last Chance Slam winner will be required to follow the same rules for semis and finals as everyone else (semis is a 4 round affair, finals a three rounder, no repeats throughout) and will also NOT BE ALLOWED TO USE EITHER OF THE PIECES HE/SHE USED IN THE LAST CHANCE SLAM DURING SEMIS OR FINALS. This means that the Last Chance Winner will need nine pieces from Last Chance Slam through finals.
SO, if you're itching for the team, but worried about time, polish off your stuff and get ready for your last chance!!!!!
Does DC Slam and/or SLAMicide follow the National Poetry Slam rules?
Yes and no. While we stick to the basic rules instituted by the National Poetry slam, some of our penalties are more lenient and may vary slightly from the rules. But for all intents and purposes...yes, we do.
How do I become a member of PSI?
You can join PSI one of two ways. The first is by purchasing your membership directly from PSI (click here). For venue, write in "Baltimore: SLAMicide" or "DC Slam" (whichever venue you slam at regularly). The second, is that you can download the .pdf version of the form from our site (click here) and mail it to PSI, along with your check, made out to "Poetry Slam, Inc." The venue information has already been filled in on this form to help you. To find out which member level you wish to sign up under, either read below, or download the membership brochure by clicking here.
These are the membership levels:
$20 NPS Basic
- participate in NPS, iWPS or WOWps.
- Voting rights in Slam Family Meetings
- 1st time members receive a novelty poetic license & a "Certificate of Slambership" suitable for framing
- Access to online membership forum(s) - and the "members only" area of www.poetryslam.com
- Semi-Annual e-newsletter
- Discounts for Poetry Cross-Training Conference
$35 PSI Associate
All basic membership privileges plus opportunity to sell your product on the PSI Online Store at a remarkably low consignment rate.
$50 PSI Booster
All associate membership benefits plus free souvenir video of your choice.
$100 PSI Sustainer
All Booster membership plus FREE anthology or option to have your page on "Poet's Gallery", provided you have product to sell.
$500 PSI Patron
All Sustainer membership benefits plus 1 FREE all-events pass to NPS
$1000 PSI Benefactor
All of the above plus an additional free all-access pass to NPS and your name listed in the NPS Program same year as your donation.
All memberships are valid for one year from date of purchase.
Poetry Slam, Inc.'s (PSI) website is www.poetryslam.com.
Does the National Poetry Slam have a website?/How do I find out more about the National Poetry Slam?
The official National Poetry Slam website is www.nationalpoetryslam.com. Here you can find out information regarding the current year's National Poetry Slam as well as how you can volunteer, where you can stay, bout schedules, maps and a slew of other information.
How do I interact with other members of this large slam community throughout the world?
There are two ways, actually. The first is by joining the Poetry Slam listserv. To do so, visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/poetry_slam and click join. The second is by going to the Poetry Slam message board at http:/forums.poetryslam.com and joining the message board community as well.
DC Slam is Washington, DC's ONLY PSI certified poetry slam venue and the official track to the National Poetry Slam.
©2007, DC Slam. All rights reserved. Site design & maintenance by Evolution's Compromise and DC Slam Poetry Series.