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.

 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.

Karen Finneyfrock is a writer and teaching artist living in Seattle, WA. As a member of three National Poetry Slam Teams, Karen was published in two poetry slam anthologies created by Poetry Slam Inc. and honored as a “Legend” at the National Poetry Slam in Austin, 2006. She has toured nationally as a Spoken Word Artist and authored one full-length book of poems titled “Welcome to the Butterfly House” (en theos press, 2004). Her new chapbook is called, “When the Squirrels Came for Her, She was Already Dressed and Waiting.”

A recent alumna of Hedgebrook writers’ colony, Karen’s recently completed book of young adult fiction is titled “Celia, the Dark and Weird.” She is a Writer-in-Residence at Richard Hugo House in Seattle and her new book of poems is forthcoming from Write Bloody Press in February, 2010.

“Karen Finneyfrock is a rare example of a slam poet who writes excellent poetry,” ~ Paul Constant, The Stranger.

Karen Finneyfrock contributed a poem titled “Newer Colossus.” I’ll remember that night not for the soup or song but as the first time I heard that poem. The poets of 1968, mostly now demised, would have loved it, this evidence that their legacy is alive. ~ Regina Hackett, Art Critic Seattle Post Intelligencer

Links:

Karen’s Interview on KUOW “The Poetics of Great Lyrics”

Seattle Magazine Article “Queen of the Spoken Word”

Specialty Slam: In honor of National Women’s History Month, the Annual Rosie the Riveter Slam (Women Only Slam)

CanarySing is madeleine clifford (MADLINES da lioness) and hollis wong-wear (ISPIRE; good lucky money) -

In their own words: repping 206 hip-hop and hip-hop worldwide, we have been described as “playfully political,” bringing the party and invested in building solidarity on a local and global level. we met as youth spoken word poets and members of youth speaks seattle; after performing together at the brave new voices national youth poetry slam, where our piece “crossfire” was featured on the historic apollo theater stage, we came together to combine our powers and take over the world.

since december 2006, we have performed in portland, washington, d.c., vancouver, b.c., new york city, san francisco and all over seattle. we’ve performed at bumbershoot, under the volcano music festival, and the san francisco mission arts project. we have written and performed commissioned work for seattle university and the richard hugo house literary arts series. and we’ve performed at events also featuring artists like saul williams, binary star, talib kweli, dead prez, medusa, gabriel teodros, mystic, sabreena da witch & mohammed from P.R. as featured in the incredible documentary slingshot hip hop, piece, cristina orbe, and more of our favorite musicians and poets.

we graduated with two bachelors degrees in 2009. between the two of us, we have presented at three national research conferences, been published in an academic journal and our universities’ literary magazines, and won several scholarships. going to college is gangstA.

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.

RC Weslowski is a clown mouth full of x-ray visions attempting to get at the heart of things.  He’s a flabbergasting lip smacker moving towards surreal conclusions of the imminent “oip.”

RC is the 2009 Vancouver Poetry Slam-Grand Slam Champion and he was also the 2008 Poet of Honour at the ’08 Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, 2007 runner up at the World Cup of Poetry in Bobigny, France, 2006 Canadian National Poetry Slam Team Champion and a multi team member of the Vancouver Poetry Slam. He’s toured the UK and Europe with performances at many different festivals in England and Canada.

He also has plans to be your friend.

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.

Adam Falkner is a multiple-time member and coach of national poetry slam teams representing the youth community of Ann Arbor, The University of Michigan and the legendary Nuyorican Poets Café in New York City, where he was a 2008/2009 Writer-in-Residence.Adam’s work has appeared in anthologies and journals such as Unsquared (826 Publications, 2006), The Barberhshop Chronicles (Penmanship Books, 2008), decomP Magazine, The Other Journal, The Esu Review, Lamplighter Review, and others, and has been featured on HBO, BET, Michigan Public Radio and in Time Out New York. National Associate for the Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP) and recipient of a Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit Award in higher education for his pioneering work at the University of Michigan in the area of Whiteness studies and intergroup relations, Adam has performed and facilitated writing workshops at colleges, universities, high schools, prisons, juvenile detention centers and performance venues across the country.

He currently teachers 11th and 12th grade English/Creative Writing in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

The top 8 poets from the last series of slams throw down again for 2 spots in the Grand Slam.

Amy Everhart has been called one of “America’s most refreshing Poetic Voices”, a whirling-dervish of a performer whose voice sucker punched itself into the National Consciousness when she made history in Berkley California on October 10th, 2009 by being the first Woman to ever win the Individual World Poetry Slam, the most highly coveted title in United States performance poetry.         

A 3-time member of the legendary Denver Mercury Cafe Slam Team and a former City Wide Champion, Amy Everhart has been published in multiple Denver poetry anthologies and is the Author of 2 Chapbooks, (In Truth and Exchanging Guilty Pleasures For Honesty), as well as one CD entitled I’d Rather Be.

Claire Connolly is one of the freshest voices to emerge in the Denver poetry slam scene.  In her first year she set the ground work for career in doing what she has proved she does best.  Small, but mighty, Claire became a part of the legendary Mercury Cafe Slam Team as a vital asset.  She went on to compete in her first ever Individual World Poetry Slam where she placed among the top rands.  Her work challenges even the veterans to push themselves over the edge.

The Wild Card slam is one crazy setup - we will take up to 16 poets (sorry, no open mic tonight) for an all out verbal war that will take the top two poets directly into the Grand Slam on April 25th.

Outlaw Hip-Hop Harmonica Player, Beatbox Poet, Punk Piano Player, String Quartet Raconteur, Rock & Roll Matador,  Playwright.

Whether performing to thousands at the Royal Albert Hall or the lucky few who made it inside the packed past capacity speakeasy, C.R. Avery is a unique, raw and dynamic performer. His genius lies in many genres - blues, hip-hop, spoken word and rock & roll. He is a one-man band, but one for this generation; with the rare ability to sing poetic verse while beatboxing simultaneously with pounding the piano and adding harmonica like a plot twist. A multi-talented front man for his Legal Tender String Quartet; a crazed lead singer/harp player for his rock & roll group The BoomChasers; a lyrical dynamo & the musical backbone of the spoken word trio Tons of Fun University.His incredible live performances have been described as Bob Dylan in the body of Iggy Pop; colliding with Little Walter, the Beastie Boys and Allen Ginsberg.  Every show is all or nothing and his fearless approach to all genres of music both on stage and in the studio proves the longevity of this talented, astonishing creator has so much more to come.

C.R. Avery is easily one of the Seattle Slam’s favorite performers. DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW!

Specialty Slam: Iron Poet Slam - Poets in each round will be assigned different challenges - poetry written on the spot, themes to incorporate, a physical challenge and much more…