LIBRARY SLAM APRIL 4: I'll again be one of the judges at the April 4 poetry slam for students in grades 7-12 at the Laramie County Public Library in Cheyenne. I may be a tougher judge this time after attending a March 11 performance by the hometown Austin Poetry Slam Team at the AWP Conference in Austin, Texas. The slammers, most in their twenties, were the best I've ever seen in person. The team was filmed for a new documentary called "Slam Planet: War of the Words" which debuted March 12 at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin. The documentary follows the Austin and New York City slam teams as they prepared for the 2004 national finals in St. Louis. While at the March 11 performance, I snagged a free CD sampler of "Slam Planet" performers, which I hope we can play for the Cheyenne teens prior to the April 4 event, which begins at 6:30 p.m. (Photo from the film shows Austin's Andy Buck.)
- posted by Michael Shay @ 11:05 AM