ALBANY POETS NEWS
Valley Performance Poets Get Ready to Slam in Mesa
Publish Date : 5/5/2004 12:07:00 PM Source : Arizona Republic
Valley performance poets get ready to slam in Mesa
John Carlos Villani, The Arizona Republic
May. 5, 2004 12:00 AM
From the political rants of Jello Biafra to the homilies of Billy Graham, the poetry art form known as "spoken word" continues to exert its grip on the American psyche.
Inspired by an individual's perspectives about life, culture and spirituality, spoken word (or "performance poetry") has long had its niche on the fringes of the Valley's arts scene. But a recent surge of interest in writing, reciting, performing and listening to spoken word has created a heightened visibility for the people and places involved in the Valley's spoken word scene.
"The diverse individuals attracted to spoken word today are more reflective of the Valley at large," says Bob Nelson, owner of Anthology Cafe in Mesa and a 10-year veteran of the region's spoken word scene. "In the past, you got a sense that some spoken word performers just did it because they had nothing else to do, but not anymore."
To be sure, spoken word performer Corbet Dean, a 13-year veteran of the Phoenix Police Department, has a job that precludes his frittering away any off-duty hours. Nonetheless, Dean is an experienced spoken word performer and is widely considered to be one of the Valley's top talents.
He's one of 11 spoken word artists competing in Saturday's 2004 Mesa National Poetry Slamoff. The event's four winners will comprise a team of Valley spoken word performers heading to August's National Poetry Slam in St. Louis. Dean has been performing spoken word since 1999 and has qualified for Mesa's national slam team since 2000.
"I was drawn to the (poetry) slam format because it offers performers a three-minute window to present material that has deep emotional impact," Dean says. "I enjoy being a spoken word poet. Some people are cynical about me as an artist because of the work I do, but others give me a certain amount of respect."
Just as the type of poets performing spoken word has changed, so has its audience, according to Nelson. "That's helped fuel a creative drive among people who want to be spoken word poets," he says. "Everyone's taking it more seriously as an art form."
Many spoken word performers and enthusiasts stay in touch through Web sites such as www.phoenixpoet.com, whose Valley-wide listings of spoken word events and venues are maintained by performance poet Brandy Lintecum. From her perspective, one of the most encouraging signs of health for the Valley's poetry scene is the increased number of events and venues presenting spoken word.
"The first (Web site) calendars had just two or three events a month, but now there's more than a dozen places regularly featuring spoken word, and even more places that bring in poets for special readings," she says.
Those regular venues include the Encanto Park Boathouse in Phoenix, home to monthly Poetry in the Park sessions. "We average 15 to 30 people a month, and about half of them are there to read their own poetry," says director Carol Hogan.
Weekly Thursday spoken word presentations at Essenza Coffeehouse in Mesa usually last two hours and feature enthusiastic listeners, according to Chris Srnka, Essenza's owner. "We get all types of people, from Apache Junction retirees to Mesa Community College art students, and standing-room crowds aren't unusual," she says.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/0505poetry05.html |
