Teen poets rev up for Slam Poetry Competition

Mill Valley, Calif.—It’s about to get loud in the library. On Friday, March 7th, expect foot stomping, clapping, hooting and hollering as local teens put their rhyming skills front and center during the return of the Mill Valley Public Library’s popular Slam Poetry Competition.

Expect to be wowed as 12 high school students with a talent and passion for the spoken word perform their original work before an audience and three fierce judges. Arts educator and spoken word maven Jazz Hudson, who has performed everywhere from the streets of Oakland to the national stage, will emcee.
 
“We are extremely fortunate to have Jazz Hudson participating in the event this year,” says Young Adult Librarian Katie MacBride, organizer of the competition. “She has a vibrant, magnetic presence and an infectious enthusiasm for slam poetry.”
 
Each poet has three minutes to perform, using no props or other items to distract from the power of the poet’s words. The judges will give each poet a score and the audience responds to the judges’ decisions with cheers or jeers. The poets with the three highest scores will move on to the championship round. Those poets will each perform a second work, and the poet with the highest score will be named the slam champion.

The slam winner will receive an iPad mini, while the first and second runners-up will receive gift certificates to Sol Food and Equator Coffee, respectively.

This year’s competition marks the third annual Slam Poetry Competition in the Library’s after-hours First Friday series. The competition has been a crowd favorite, with audience members enthusiastically encouraging the Library to bring the slam back year after year.

“I think the slam is such a beloved event because it brings the community together in a really unique way, ” says MacBride. “The poets have the opportunity to share their creativity and the audience is always impressed by the students’ talent.”

The Slam Poetry Competition will take place March 7th at 7 pm in the Library’s Main Reading Room. Space is limited, so registration is strongly recommended. Doors will open to registered guests at 6:30 pm and beverages will be served. Space permitting, entrance to non-registered guests will open at 6:45 pm. Entry is free and open to the public, and is limited to adults and high school students. To register, call 415-389-4292, ext. 3 or sign up online at http://www.millvalleylibrary.org. 


About the Mill Valley Public Library's First Friday Series: Debuting in January 2011 in celebration of the Mill Valley Public Library's centennial year, the ongoing First Fridays series features thought-provoking narratives, ideas, performances, and presentations. All events in the series take place after-hours in the Library's beautiful Main Reading Room.