Seize the Slam

Quite a few years ago, this movie Slam Nation, came out and introduced slam poetry to a wider audience. There wasn't much story, the movie just follows the progress of a few teams through the national slam poetry championship. The cast there is now pretty much a who's who of slam poets. I didn't see the movie until last summer, even though Poeting had shown it a couple of times. Something always conflicted with those specific meetings. And when I finally did see it, I was blown away, and wished that I had seen it sooner. And wished that I had not had two missed chances. I didn't know how much I had missed until I saw the movie. See, two of the poets in the movie, and perhaps the two most well known, Taylor Mali and Saul Williams, had both performed at the Bo' and I had missed them both. The first was for an off-campus retreat, where I got to know a few kids from Colby and became much better friends with former-roommate-Rio, so it was very much worth it. The second time, Saul's performance conflicted with my weekly seminar with the PuMan, and I had already missed a class the previous week and could not miss another one. It was either watch a brilliant performance by a wonderful performer or listen to stories from a Pulitzer-winning writer giving me the chance to impress him. Not a bad place to be in, but not a decision I enjoyed making. But finally, tonight, I got to hear one of the Slam Nation poets. Michael Brown. And I got to sit right in the front. And got to talk to him. And promises to contact once we all get back in the States. So he wouldn't have been on my top list of people I must see before I die, but it was still very nice and humbling to hear a great poet perform (and a string of other really high caliber poets not usually seen in these parts... because they're not from these parts). And in two weeks time, it'll be my turn on that stage. Freaking unbelievable.