Freedom To Speak National Poetry Slam 2002

by Patricia Smith (Editor), Debora Marsh (Editor), Scott Woods

This is the first anthology sponsored and assembled by Poetry Slam, Inc., the non-profit organization that creates the annual National Poetry Slam and Individual World Poetry Slam. Contains the print version of over 50 poems performed in some capacity at the 2002 National Poetry Slam in Minneapolis, MN and an audio CD with 23 recorded versions of other poems performed before screaming, celebrating audiences. This is NOT your Aunt Bertha's poetry reading! Poems by Lucy Anderton, Corrina Bain, Angela Boyce, Michael Brown, Corbet Dean, Mack Dennis, Daphne Gottlieb, Ragan Fox, Ray McNiece, Michael Salinger, Danny Solis, Buddy Wakefield, Tazuo Yamaguchi and many more. There is something here for every taste. Some strong language in some poems.

122 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Called “a testament to the power of words to change lives,” Patricia Smith is a renaissance artist of unmistakable signature, recognized as a force in the fields of poetry, playwriting, fiction, performance and creative collaboration.

Reviews

[Jennifer Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of slam poetry doesn't translate well to the page--it somewhat awkwardly reads like slam, and just doesn't have the power it would have in person. That isn't true of all of the poems here, but it is true of most of them. That said, there are some poems here by some of my favorite slam artists, including Buddy Wakefield and Corbet Dean, which are incredible stand-outs that I adore. The gemstone of the book is really the audio CD, though, which includes work by some of my other favorite poets--Rives, Gina Loring, and Sekou (as well as other audio poems by Dean and Wakefield)--and the poem included from Sekou, When I Grow Up, is just phenomenal. As a video recording, it's one I've played for my classes in the past.

I think this collection probably has something for every poetry lover, especially because of the audio CD, though some pieces are more page-enjoyable than others. It's absolutely a good choice for someone who's curious about either poetry or slam poetry, but not yet a fan of either.