A Few Minutes to Shine: Poetry on the Stage

The world of slam poetry is a dynamic dance between competition and vulnerability.

For Charlotte Edwards, a slam poet, the most competitive poems “mix the personal and the political.” She writes pieces with titles like “Coming Out to God” specifically for competitions.

Her first open mic performance was scheduled at Hume-Fogg Academic High School, in front of her classmates. Her nervousness faded as she started her performance and felt the crowd’s energy. “You can feel it under the stage,” she said.

Ephie Hauck, another slam poet, had her first performance at Rocketown. She described her piece, “End Behavior,” as “a mathematical metaphor for life.” Instead of performing for an audience, however, her words fell on the ears of passersby. Hauck noted that the lack of a permanent audience helped her conquer her doubts.

Slam poetry is a type of performance art where poets can share their writing with a live audience. There are two different kinds of poetry performances: open mics and competitions. According to Hauck, open mics let poets practice their pieces for competitions and gain skill. Competitions are judged events where poets perform “punchline based” pieces within a set time period. Coffee shops, museums, libraries, and schools are just some of the locations where poetry events are held.

One such competition for teenagers across the US is Brave New Voices. Different organizations, such as Southern Word and Youth Speaks, hold qualifying events for young poets. Once winners are determined, poets prepare pieces and practice their work at workshops. “We would do three or four hours a day of these sessions of writing, editing, and performing,” Edwards said. Both individual and team pieces are performed at BNV. One of Edwards’ team pieces focused on maturing as a woman and dealing with catcalling and harassment. A challenge she faced was the fierce competition, with some teams preparing all year for BNV. However, she identified that BNV can be a learning experience, which can become a strength for returning poets who know what to expect. For Hauck, performing at BNV in Las Vegas allowed her to connect with other poets and learn how to write collaborative pieces.

Edwards enjoys the interactive nature of slam poetry. If a poet fumbles on a word or line, the crowd will “fill the space” and cheer them on by snapping or yelling encouragement. During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, however, open mics and performances began taking place over Zoom. Edwards’ performances became limited to her and her camera. “I’ve never forgotten a piece in person, I have forgotten one on zoom,” She said.

Despite the “metallic” experience of zoom, Edwards saw value in the instant feedback it provided. When she performed, the audience and other poets would comment on her piece.

Hauck’s most recent performance was on Nov. 11 at a fundraiser for AWAKE, a nonprofit that works to advocate for women and children. She believed the performances of both songwriters and poets were an “instrumental tool” to help people understand AWAKE’s cause. “I can get up and perform a piece that’s super personal to me, and it takes the taboo out of those issues,” she said.

For Edwards, frequenting poetry events has helped broaden her perspective. Other poets have discussed issues that Edwards is unfamiliar with, or will represent a side that she doesn’t agree with. “It’s hard to look at that person and see someone you disagree with or an enemy.”

For poets who are looking to attend their first open mic, Edwards suggested using the internet to search for local poetry organizations and networking with poets. “Be you. Don’t worry about being competitive right off the bat.” Hauck advised performing as often as possible, even if a poem isn’t perfect yet.

Listen to Ephie Hauck perform "Skinny White Boy" here

Read Charlotte Edwards’ "Red" here.