A slam poetry reading, also known as a “poetry slam” will be held at the historic Smithgall Arts Center venue off of the Gainesville square.
The event is on Saturday, Feb. 24, from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., doors open at 11:30 a.m. with no admission fee.
“Slam poetry is a form of performance poetry that combines elements of performance, writing, competition, and audience participation” as defined by the encyclopedia.
Unlike traditional poetry styles, slam calls for less focus on rhyme or meter and relies heavily on the reader’s ability to use cadence and voice inflections to convey the emotion of their message.
Due to the performative nature of these events, readings are intended to be dramatic. The audience is encouraged to exclaim, clap, snap, stomp, yell, boo, or hiss.
Slam events typically have a theme or topic to create continuity between the readings. For the event on Feb. 24, the theme is immigration.
Depending on a person's perception of immigration, feelings on the topic can vary greatly. This event is an opportunity to gain insight from the thoughts and experiences of other community members or share your own.
Anyone is welcome to prepare and share a poem or story. Those interested are asked to submit their work to [email protected] prior to the event.
