Open Mic, Featured Poet Matt Gano and The SLAM
This slam is an open slam - just throw your name into the hat by 8:30pm.
Slammers will be competing for points towards our next semifinal (April 10th) which brings them one step closer to qualifying for the Seattle National Slam Team.
Email slam@poetryfestival.org for more details.

Matt Gano is a nationally known poet, writer, and performance artist residing in Seattle, Washington. He was a member of the National Poetry Slam team for Seattle in 2004, and again in 2005. He earned a BA in creative writing from Western Washington University and has toured colleges, high schools, and middle schools as a guest speaker on blending poetry for the page with performance by vocalizing the intention of the written word.
Matt is a mentor for Seattle’s nationally renowned youth poetry program; Youth Speaks, where he facilitates workshops discussing poetry and the art of expression for aspiring poets ranging from 13 to 19 years old.
Matt is the Writer in Residence for McClure Middle School through the Writers In The School program as part of Seattle Arts and Lectures as well as the Writer in Residence at Cleveland High School, through Emerging Voices and the Youngstown Cultural Arts Center in West Seattle. He is the lead facilitator of an all-ages weekly writing circle held at Langston Hughes PAC in Seattle. His work includes a self-published and widely sold chapbook, titled, “Art Barker”, as well as a self-titled CD covering the science of being defiant, relationships, and social fads and a full length live recording of poetry.