Open Slams have three rounds: 8 poets in the 1st, top 5 scorers moving on to the 2nd, and the top 3 moving to the 3rd. Third round poets get points, 1st (3pts) 2nd (2pts) and 3rd (1pt) towards the Semi-Finals. Anyone can sign up to compete.

One of the most engaging voices of a generation, Mark Gonzales has appeared on HBO’s Def Poetry, Fox News, Mun2, NPR, and shared stages with literary, Hip Hop, and academic icons across the globe (Palestine, Cuba, Lebanon, UAE, Qatar).

The depth of his work can be seen in the diversity of his audience, as he has received acclaims from educators, senators, foster youth, former prisoners, and members of the United Nations. His tongue tap-dance tangos between Brooklyn mothers and Baghdad sons, and he hums in the name of both. After being awarded a fellowship to complete Masters in Education from the University of California, Los Angeles, Gonzales builds with educators and youth in curriculum and artistic development to create the communities we envision. In 2008, he continued to break borders and build beauty by becoming the first Chicano spoken word artist to perform in Syria.