Thu 12/15 @ 9PM
The pulse of any community is best taken through the arts. That’s where triumph and failure, success and strife, can be gauged and interpreted. Beginning in the mid-’80s, the Northeast Ohio poetry slam scene was thriving. However, for the better part of the last decade, the lyrical demonstrations followed by cheers or boos have remained silent.
That is until now with the recently announced poetry slam The People. The bi-monthly, open-mic affairs, which kick off Thu 12/15 at University Circle’s Happy Dog East location, allow poets to perform without the accompaniment of props, costumes, musical instruments or musical tracks.
CoolCleveland talked to The People Co-SlamMaster Kisha Nicole Foster about the poetry slam scene.
Tell us about the inaugural The People slam.
It’s a poetry slam, so it’s a competition with poets competing against each other, sometimes for a prize or a placing in another competition. This is a part of Poetry Slam Inc, the national poetry slam. We’ll send a team of Cleveland slam people next year. There’s also the Women of the World Poetry Slam, which is an individual world poetry slam. So it’s like a hierarchy. You have to go through these little events at home until you get to a grand slam champion.
What’s the history of poetry slams in Cleveland?
Years ago we used to have the Cleveland Classic Slam Team. Our SlamMaster was Michael Salinger and his partner Sara Holbrook. They are well-known poets on the scene for 40-plus years. What happened was they got tired of it, and they wanted to pass it on to someone else. Nobody really wanted to take it. Then Lyrical Rhythms took it up but that stopped happened in 2011. That’s the last time it was in Cleveland.
So why is it restarting now?
Akeem Rollins, the Co-SlamMaster of The People, would travel to Akron and Cleveland for their poetry slam team. Recently they didn’t want to do it anymore and Akeem took it over. He just wanted to bring it back to Cleveland, which had a really strong history in poetry slam.
Is this poetry slam resurgence related in any way to the ongoing efforts of the Twelve Literary and Performative Arts Incubator?
Well, it’s poetry. That’s the only thing. That’s the relation. Twelve Literary is really a new place but it’s becoming a big institution in our city. I’m proud to work for Daniel (Gray-Kontar, the Twelve Literary and Performative Arts Incubator executive artistic director) and what he’s doing for young poets as well older poets and artists. There are three components to Twelve Literary Arts. There’s performance, which is where he has partnerships with Karamu House and Cleveland Public Theatre. That’s really big because those are just places where plays happen. Now they are our official partners where we have poets performing at those theaters. The second component is the Baldwin House. It’s a residency for poets and writers. And the third component is the One Mic Open Fellowship and Poetry Slam, which is strictly for young people.
Considering the years that have passed since the Cleveland slam poetry scene was thriving, what kind of turnout are you expecting for The People slam?
Well, it depends. You never can speculate until people come day of. Mostly you get 10 to 12 people competing. We haven’t done this in so long, this is really different. We’re reintroducing slam to the Cleveland community and just letting them know what it is and that we’re starting it back up.
It sounds like while you’re optimistic about this year’s efforts, you’re really looking to lay the foundation for future slam poetry success?
We’re very optimistic. Next year we will be sending someone and a team. There are so many young poets and older poets who need this outlet, who have that competitive spirit.
Finally, why should the public consider taking in The People slam?
You’ll get to hear poets. Some of them will be good poems and others might not be good poems, but you’ll get to see competition. You’ll get to see people coming together, competing. You’ll also get a unity. You’ll get a whole diversity of people who just love poetry and are ready to start this new history. It’ll be an exciting time. It’s something new in the spirit of the Cavs winning and the Indians going to the World Series. It’s just that pride that Cleveland has. We have great fans and people love poetry slam. Slams are a big thing here. We’re just trying to bring it back for everybody.