Recently at a Poetry Slam, I approached a competing poet from Slam Richmond who we just defeated and he made the following comment to me:
“Our poems didn’t do so well tonight because this venue [Poe Museum] wasn’t a ‘Black’ one; we performed the same poetry at the Canal Club and it got a great response.”
Those of you who know me know that I am not an individual that lets ignorance slip, so I feel it is important that I address this comment and make a few things clear.
Slam Nahuatl only has one white member. The remaining members consist of two African Americans and a Latino. In comparison to Slam Richmond, we are just as racially diverse and more internationally diverse. As a result, I think that this individual’s comment needs further examination because it is clear that the reason Slam Nahuatl won had nothing to do with race, i.e. if race where a factor it would have equally impacted Nahuatl.
To understand this indvidual’s flaw in thought, let’s examine the audience that frequents the Canal Club. Although the audience at this venue might be a ‘Black’ one (whatever that means), that is not the main identifier as many educated, classy African American people would argue. The audience at the Canal Club fits the description of an individual that “shakes his or her ass to music that is demeaning and degrading to women and to the Black race, spends $100 of their salary at the bar instead of buying diapers for their baby, and lacks knowledge of self.” Ignorance does not equate to being black. I repeat, ignorance does not equate to being black. There are just as many ignorant white people in the Canal Club on any given Friday or Saturday night.
As a math major, the above evidence leads me to deduce the following: this individual subconsciously admitted that Slam Richmond’s poetry does not appeal to an educated audience (white or black) that has an elevated state of consciousness. I do not personally believe this, but this individual who coaches their team obviously does. There were, in fact, Black people at the Poe Museum and it was pretty clear from the response of the audience that these individuals preferred Nahuatl’s poetry.
From my personal observation, Slam Nahuatl won for the following three reasons:
1. we read books and political journals,
2. our topics extend beyond the ordinary or presented the ordinary in a creative fashion,
3. we perform as a team
It is a known fact that to grow as a writer you must first read. If you were to dissect Nahuatl’s writing it references such great writers as Hafiz, something Danny Sherrard, the PSi Individual Champion, did well with a piece he used to win individuals with last year. Nahuatl also incorporates what it reads in a creative way, i.e. In “A Manual on Remembering that I am Beautiful” the subject of our poem uses the “Gift” by Hafiz to create a manual on remembering his divinity. Nahuatl’s work also references political issues, appealing to an audience who reacts to this because they also read.
Nahuatl took very common topics, i.e. anger towards President Bush, and incorporated elements of theatrical creativity having one member represent thought, another represent voice and yet another, movement – coming together to make one individual. If this individual from Slam Richmond wants to blame “somebody” for loosing, blame Nahuatl’s creativity, not race.
Nahuatl works as a team. All group pieces were written, edited, and theatrically produced by all members of the team. This cohesion shows.
As everyone knows, winning a slam doesn’t mean anything. It’s just the opinion of who happens to be there on that particular night. However, if you’re going to play the game, try and play it right. And if you loose, do it humbly. Congratulate your opponent rather than blaming race. Three of the Slam Richmond poet’s left the Poe Museum with their tails in-between their legs without congratulating the other team. Why? I don’t know – they had nothing to be ashamed of. In presenting, they did something 99% do not have the courage to do and I commend them for that. Personally, I believe that Slam Richmond could very well beat Nahuatl at nationals (not because they are better or work harder, but merely because they don’t like my face). I have no control over that, however, I can control what I do and I guarantee that if they win or loose, I will be humble in my defeat or victory. I will not make an ignorant comment that offends the black race in order to feel better about myself. In the end of the day, people say the Poetry is what counts, not the points, but they don’t really mean it. A silly competition brings out ignorant statements such as the one mentioned in this blog. As poets, we must use our pens and our voices to combat such a thing and that’s exactly what I am trying to do in posting this.
And, personally, I welcome the idea of having next year’s annual Richmond competition at the Canal Club.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
We've Already Won
It was September of 2007. I just finished performing a new piece, “Don’t Wake Them,” and the crowd was still buzzing in delight. Slam Richmond’s newest member, Survivor, Megan and I walked outside. I watched the two as they smoked their cigarettes and I tried to distance myself just enough to not seem rude, but just enough to enjoy the night air. Survivor turned to me and said, “You did a great job tonight. You should compete for Slam Richmond.” He then went on to tell me how Slam Nahuatl going to nationals was a bad idea; how it wouldn’t work. He told me how I could learn a lot from him and how my writing needed to grow, how he had been taught by poets who studied at the finest universities. I smiled politely and left.
July 2008. Slam Nahuatl just finished performing a new piece, “A Manual on Remembering I am Beautiful,” clinching victory over Slam Richmond. I looked across the Poe Museum Garden and each time my eyes connected with a member of Slam Richmond they looked away embarrassed: Nazdak, Megan, Narrator and Survivor; each with their own story of how they turned their back on Nahuatl and doubted me as a poet and as a Slam Master. Did Nazdak foresee Slam Richmond’s stock falling? Did Megan second guess her decision? Could Lee Jones narrate a poem on going back on his word? Could they all “survive” the embarrassment?
Although only they (i.e. Nazdak, Megan, Narrator and Survivor) could answer these questions personally, one thing is clear: Nahuatl existing and going to nationals is a great thing! The Richmond poetry scene use to be a monopoly and, for all those who understand economics, a monopoly results in low quality products and high prices. This monopoly was begun by Tom ‘Sanchez’ Prunier who compensated for his lack of poetry skills with organizational ones. In other words, Tom understood that by incorporating a slam team he might have a chance to actually make the team by controlling aspects of the selection process, rules, etc. This actually worked in Slam Richmond Season “Too” were several judges were friends of Tom, including Donna Joyce. As a result, Tom placed higher than various poets he never previously beat (clearly better poets). This clearly broke the slam rules, but in a monopoly little can be done to ensure fairness. Now with the presence of two teams in Richmond, competition is elevating and poets such as Tom no longer have what it takes to make a team. Individuals such as Megan Rickman, who missed out previously, can now take their rightful position on a poetry team attending Nationals. And why you may ask? Because of Slam Nahuatl.
Bottom line: no matter what happens at Nationals, Slam Nahuatl has already won. Even if Slam Richmond beats us and does well at nationals, they can attribute that win to Slam Nahuatl. I guarantee you that after the humiliating experience at the Poe Museum, Slam Richmond is practicing that much harder even as we speak. They will be that much more prepared for nationals because the entire year they had to elevate their performances knowing another slam venue was in town. We have also done something Slam Richmond could never do for poetry in Richmond: drawn big crowds such as the bout against Charlotte, the two times we’ve performed at the Poe Museum and First Friday’s street performances. We did this without sponsorship (i.e. Madmonkie Entertainment) and without “big name” poets. Our team has done various free performances at schools, churches and community centers. You define your own success and Slam Nahuatl defined this early on as being true to ourselves and performing with all that we have every time we perform. Regardless of the scores, we always win when we perform. Hopefully, Slam Richmond will learn this lesson one day.
Lastly, to address Survivor’s comment about him teaching me to write. I was awarded a degree in Creative Writing from Hamilton College. My professor was an individual named George O’ Connell, the 2005-2006 U.S. Fulbright Professor of Creative Writing and American Literature and also the winner of the Pablo Neruda Award and several other literary awards. Hamilton is also were Ezra Pound attended school. Pound is accredited with starting the modernist movement in the early 20th century, a movement that encouraged breaking all conventional rules of poetry. In essence, much of what Slam is today originated with Pound. So as far as you being taught by poets who studied at the finest universities goes: you were taught by them, I AM them. Class is dismissed.
July 2008. Slam Nahuatl just finished performing a new piece, “A Manual on Remembering I am Beautiful,” clinching victory over Slam Richmond. I looked across the Poe Museum Garden and each time my eyes connected with a member of Slam Richmond they looked away embarrassed: Nazdak, Megan, Narrator and Survivor; each with their own story of how they turned their back on Nahuatl and doubted me as a poet and as a Slam Master. Did Nazdak foresee Slam Richmond’s stock falling? Did Megan second guess her decision? Could Lee Jones narrate a poem on going back on his word? Could they all “survive” the embarrassment?
Although only they (i.e. Nazdak, Megan, Narrator and Survivor) could answer these questions personally, one thing is clear: Nahuatl existing and going to nationals is a great thing! The Richmond poetry scene use to be a monopoly and, for all those who understand economics, a monopoly results in low quality products and high prices. This monopoly was begun by Tom ‘Sanchez’ Prunier who compensated for his lack of poetry skills with organizational ones. In other words, Tom understood that by incorporating a slam team he might have a chance to actually make the team by controlling aspects of the selection process, rules, etc. This actually worked in Slam Richmond Season “Too” were several judges were friends of Tom, including Donna Joyce. As a result, Tom placed higher than various poets he never previously beat (clearly better poets). This clearly broke the slam rules, but in a monopoly little can be done to ensure fairness. Now with the presence of two teams in Richmond, competition is elevating and poets such as Tom no longer have what it takes to make a team. Individuals such as Megan Rickman, who missed out previously, can now take their rightful position on a poetry team attending Nationals. And why you may ask? Because of Slam Nahuatl.
Bottom line: no matter what happens at Nationals, Slam Nahuatl has already won. Even if Slam Richmond beats us and does well at nationals, they can attribute that win to Slam Nahuatl. I guarantee you that after the humiliating experience at the Poe Museum, Slam Richmond is practicing that much harder even as we speak. They will be that much more prepared for nationals because the entire year they had to elevate their performances knowing another slam venue was in town. We have also done something Slam Richmond could never do for poetry in Richmond: drawn big crowds such as the bout against Charlotte, the two times we’ve performed at the Poe Museum and First Friday’s street performances. We did this without sponsorship (i.e. Madmonkie Entertainment) and without “big name” poets. Our team has done various free performances at schools, churches and community centers. You define your own success and Slam Nahuatl defined this early on as being true to ourselves and performing with all that we have every time we perform. Regardless of the scores, we always win when we perform. Hopefully, Slam Richmond will learn this lesson one day.
Lastly, to address Survivor’s comment about him teaching me to write. I was awarded a degree in Creative Writing from Hamilton College. My professor was an individual named George O’ Connell, the 2005-2006 U.S. Fulbright Professor of Creative Writing and American Literature and also the winner of the Pablo Neruda Award and several other literary awards. Hamilton is also were Ezra Pound attended school. Pound is accredited with starting the modernist movement in the early 20th century, a movement that encouraged breaking all conventional rules of poetry. In essence, much of what Slam is today originated with Pound. So as far as you being taught by poets who studied at the finest universities goes: you were taught by them, I AM them. Class is dismissed.
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