Before You Slam
If you plan on hitting our stage, please read this first (mostly borrowed from Loser Slam NJ with permission) The Nuts and Bolts of Open Slams.
The time limit for poems in the slam is 3:00. There is a 10 second grace period. So poems under 3:10 will not be penalized. Poems will be penalized (.5) half point at 3:10:01, (1) one point at 3:20:01, (1.5) One and one half points at 3:30:01 and so on. The time starts at the first contact with audience; this can be a word or action. The maximum time allowable on the open mic is (4) four minutes or 1 (one) poem, whichever comes first. Please be respectful and aware that your fellow poets want to share their poems with an alert, awake and engaged audience, too. (See Poetry Etiquette below for more on this subject).
For in person slams:
- Most slams start at 8:00pm EST
- Doors at 7:00pm EST
- Poet sign up is at 7:30 unless otherwise stated in promo.
Slam signup starts at 7:30pm. If the list exceeds 12 poets at 8:00, we will randomly select 12 poets to compete by drawing their names out of a hat. If you aren’t drawn, you will have 2 names in next slam’s draw. If you don’t get drawn that slam, you automatically will be slamming the following slam.
There are 5 spots in the open mic, we will do a draw if more than 5 people sign up. There is a 4 min time limit for the open mic. You are welcome to perform any style or genre of performance, instruments and props included! Bring pieces that are no more than 4 mins or the host may have to cut you off. There is no guarantee that you will be able to read if you sign up. We are operating within the constraints of time and space; do us all a favour and be on time.
If you are hitting the stage bring some merch for our merch table, we’d be happy to sell it for you. We don't take a cut.
Content Warning. Consider yourself warned. This is an open mic and slam. We invite features from around the country and globe to read their work. People often write from a place of raw emotion, brutal honesty, and vulnerability. They are feeling things and sharing those things with us. Their feelings might make you feel some feelings. Be aware of what your personal boundaries and limits are and act accordingly. If you need to step outside/turn off your video, do so. No one will fault you for taking care of yourself.
Don’t be an Asshole Warning. Don’t be sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, anti-Black, anti-Indigenous, Islamophobic, anti-Semitic, classist, ableist or any other kind of jerk. We have pretty good senses of humor here. We also have very little patience for –ists and –isms parading as edgy humor. Which leads us to…
Respect. While we are an open mic, we do not tolerate hate speech or intimidation on or off stage. Please act respectfully. It’s a small room (in person and online) so if you’re talking while someone is performing, we can all hear you.
Order. Round 1 is in random order. Round 2 takes the top 6 poets from round 1 and has them go in reverse order.
Scores from each round are added together. The poet with the highest score is the winner. In a regular season, your overall scores for the season go towards rankings for the year.