Whether you’re going away to university in a new town, you want to discover fresh talent or you have a fantastic new idea you feel should be explored further, starting up your own poetry night can be a great way of generating interest in the art of spoken word.
So we’ve drawn up a step-by-step guide to help you to organise your first poetry event.
1. The first thing you should do is crowdsource. Ask friends and those in the industry what they think of your idea. There’s no point going through all the trouble of organising an event if there is no interest in it. You need to build a close network, so that people will attend your event. It’s important to remember that if you’re passionate about your idea, you’ll have much more of a chance of selling it to others.
2. Draw up detailed plan of what the event will involve. Is it solely a poetry night, or will you have other creative acts also? Is it for all ages or just adults? These specifications will help you decide what kind of venue is best for you. A bar would be completely unsuitable, for example, if your target demographic is 14-18 year olds!
3. Approach a venue you think would be open to poetry nights. This could be an exhibition hall, a gallery, a theatre or a bar. Remember, the settings must be appropriate for the performance. Is there a stage or an area the artist could perform from? Is there sufficient space for the audience to see and hear the act? Will they be comfortable?
4. Set up a professional email address so that the venue, fans and performers can contact you directly. You don’t want to miss important information because you thought it was just another Groupon spam mail!
5. Ask relevant poets to perform at your event. At this stage, you probably can’t pay them. Most poets enjoy performing, they’re not in it for the money. So stress that it would be a great platform for them to get their work out there. If you’re having an open-mic segment to the night, make sure you advertise your new email address so artists can sign up to perform.
6. Advertise and promote! Use Twitter and Facebook to spread the word and generate interest. Message blogs (such as this one) to inform them your event is coming up. Post on forums and society groups. Make posters and flyers and staple them around town.
7. Finally, don’t forget to have fun. You’ve worked hard to make this night a success, so stop stressing and enjoy it!
We look forward to being invited to your first poetry event.
Because when Jesus said it is
finished, I believe he meant it.
Why I Love Religion, And Love Jesus
by Fr. Claude (Dusty) Burns Aka Pontifex
What
if I told you that Jesus loves religion
And that by his coming as man he brought his religion to
fruition See this had to be addressed, the use of
illogical terms and definitions You clearly have a heart for Jesus but its
fueling atheistic opinions See what makes his religion great is not errors
of wars and inquisitions It's that broken men and women to participate in
his mission Clearly Jesus says I have not come to abolish I came to fulfill the law and I came to fulfill
the prophets And lines about building big churches and
tending to the poor Sounds a bit like Judas when the perfume was
being poured See His religion is the largest worldwide source
of relief For the poor, the hungry, the sick and repentant
thief Oceans of compassion, opening wide the doors For single mothers, widows and orphans, married
and divorced We all detest hypocrisy, and empty show is just
the worst But blaming religion for contradiction Is like staring at death, and blaming the
hearse. See the teacher will teach when the students are
ready to listen But those that choose to sit in the pews and
refuse the good news Is not the fault of religion. And If I have the Jersey and I'm playing for the
Bulls There's going to be some boundaries, regulations
and some rules. You can't have Christ without his Church; you
can't have the King without his Kingdom Sins of the Body and internal treason will never
ever make me leave him And that Jesus said it is done, is absolutely
true But he also gave us a mission with many things
to DO. Jesus says if you love me, you will Do what I
command. Go and Baptize in the name of the Father, Son
& Spirit in Every Land. And on the night he was betrayed he took his men
in the Upper Room Take at eat this is my body take and drink my
blood for you. A New covenant you see, an act connected to the
tree, Do this time and time again in Memory of
Me. And at last with crown of thorns beaten beyond
comprehension His eyes were looking for yours and mine; it was
divine, no human invention. So as for religion I love it, I have one because
Jesus rose from the dead and won. I believe When Jesus said IT IS FINISHED, His
religion had just begun.
One of my favorite activities to do in a workshop or class is just brainstorming around what makes effective spoken-word or slam poetry. We all have different standards, and since spoken-word is so new for so many people, sometimes those standards vary wildly. Obviously, there’s a lot of room for debate, and I think that that debate is a very healthy, necessary thing in our community. Here are the standards that I use, forged in those discussions and hardened by my experiences in the slam scene, in the arts education scene and elsewhere.
1. Context matters. Just because you scored a 30 in a slam doesn't mean that your poem will succeed at a rally, in a high school classroom or even at a different slam. Spoken-word doesn't have to be able to work in a vacuum—it’s okay to write with a specific performance venue in mind. Know your audience. A good poet uses this knowledge to hit as hard as he or she can in a particular scenario.
2. Substance over style. For me, spoken-word is more than pretty art—it’s an opportunity to say something to an audience. Too many poets waste that opportunity. I’m not saying that every poem has to be a grand political manifesto, but the best spoken-word is powerful and ultimately transformative because of what it says, not how it says it. Of course, form brings content to life, and good writing will give a poem’s message longer legs, but at the end of the day, pretty words with no meaningful foundation ring hollow.
3. Challenge the audience. The best art doesn't tell people what they want to hear—it pushes them out of their comfort zones. It doesn't repeat the slogans and platitudes that the audience already believes in; it helps them to see things in a new way. At the same time, remember point #1. A poem that is cliche for one audience might be revelatory for another.
4. Do not manipulate your audience; do not exploit your subject. A poem can be sad, a poem can be angry and a poem can deal with heavy subjects. But if there isn't some kind of deeper point to all of that raw energy, you run the risk of simply toying with people’s emotions in order to get them to cheer for you. So if a poem is going to be about dead babies or domestic violence or genocide or whatever, it damn well better have a message that goes beyond “wow war is sad” or “murder isn't good.” I like calls to action. I like poems that toy with the relationship between personal and political.
5. Being original and memorable is more important than being “good.” What new perspective do you have? From what new angle can you attack a given target? If you’re going to cover well-trod territory, how are you going to make your work stand out? Remember, any idiot can write good poetry. Creative Writing programs around the world churn out would-be masters every semester. Your challenge is not to “write well;” it is to slap your audience in the face with something meaningful, powerful and memorable. Again, good writing can help you do that, but it should never be your only goal.
7. Be specific. A poet is like an archaeologist. You don’t walk for miles with a metal detector, picking up bottle-caps you find a little three-foot by three-foot space and dig as deep as you can. Less-effective poets often want to write a single poem that addresses everything that’s wrong with the world—“war is bad, racism is bad, poetry is good, we should save the environment,” etc.—and the result is a watered-down laundry list of social ills that doesn't really say anything. Instead, turn abstract concepts into concrete images. Don’t write about “war,” write about a specific person in a specific war dealing with a specific problem. Don’t write about “love,” tell a detailed story about a specific moment in your life when you felt loved.
8. Study the art of poetry. I know a lot of these points have forced “good writing” into the background, but it’s important to note that while I believe you can write a brilliant slam poem that isn't a brilliant capital-P Poem, good writing is generally a very important tool for bringing a message to life and making a spoken-word piece more palatable and interesting. So don’t just get up on stage and rant and rave. Understand dynamics, structure, metaphor, imagery, assonance & consonance, rhythm, concrete vs. abstract language and all of the little things that go into making what is traditionally considered good poetry. Even if you want to break rules, you should be able to do so intentionally.
9. Perform to the audience, not at the audience. This is a subtle point, but one that’s been very important for my growth as an artist. A good spoken-word poet doesn't beat the audience over their heads with words and ideas; instead, he or she attempts to create a real connection between speaker and listener. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly how this is done, but good poets use everything—not just words and voice; it’s in the approach to the mic, the posture, body language, eye contact, use of negative space and more. It’s about manipulating the energy that exists in a room to draw the listener into the piece.
10. Poetry—especially spoken-word—is about communication. At the end of the day, you’re not up on stage to celebrate how brilliant you are; you’re up there to open up lanes of communication, to say something that might get someone else to think or feel something, to build community—artistically, intellectually and physically. We are all extremely privileged to be a part of this movement, and as artists, we are regularly given platforms that most people don’t have access to. Make it count. Be extraordinary. Do not ever settle for a first draft. Be tireless in your pursuit of the truth that can only be spoken through poetry.
11. Be clear. After hearing your poem once, virtually every audience member should be able to walk away and describe or explain your poem in one simple sentence. Your poem can be complex and layered and detailed (and should be), but it should leave one dominant taste in your audience’s mouths.
Hi love, how are you settling down in camp? Hope you guys are cool. I did not realise this until I got back home after I dropped you off at the military base. I would have loved to tell you face to face, but I’m not sure when next you will be coming home my love, and I’m too excited to keep this to myself. Don’t scream when you read this my love, so read it carefully, I shall write it only once (lol), “I am having our baby!!!”
Just got home after a stressful day, wish you were here to help me rub my feet. Though, I can still see them as I’m just 3 months gone so my belly is not really protruding. I went for a scan today, and guess what? Well, the doctor did say it might be too early to tell, but what the heck, I’m having your son my love. The scan showed our baby is a boy, so now I will have two men in my life. Love you, miss you like crazy.
I hope you are alright my love. I just got off the phone with Fred. He told me that you are a very brave man and he owes you his life. He said you were the leader of the commando unit that rescued him from being a prisoner of war. I know you don’t like writing but please reply this letter because Fred said you went back to get one of your injured unit member as their helicopter came under severe enemy gun fire. Please reply my love, I love you.
The baby kicked today my love, I felt it. The kick was hard and strong; wish you were here to feel it. I’m sure he will grow up as strong as you my love. Passed by some baby shops on my way back from antenatal classes, I bought some babies clothes, nappies, toys and games. But I could not decide on the colour of crib to buy, as I know blue is your favourite colour but I love the pink crib. Well, I will wait for you to come back so we can decide on the colour of crib to buy. When are you coming back my love? Do hurry back dear; I heard making love during pregnancy is exciting, I can’t wait to try it out with you my love, I miss you so so much.
It’s been 4 months since I last heard from you my love, four months since Fred told me about the rescue operation. Nobody is telling me anything anymore, neither have u replied my letters. I saw your commanding officer in church last Sunday, but he pretended not to see me and hurried away as I walked towards him. I tried to run after him, but my belly is now so big I can barely walk. I can’t even see my feet anymore. Wish you were here to rub my feet and back for me. I miss you; please reply when you get this, I love you.
I wore your shirt and cried myself to sleep last night. The apartment, the room, the bed seems so lonely and empty without you. Been playing our wedding videos and looking at the wedding pictures all morning. I miss your touch, your hug, your warmth, your smile, I miss you my love. I can’t drive the car again as my belly is so big, it keeps rubbing against the steering wheel. So I always have to walk down to the bus stop to take a bus to and fro the hospital for my antenatal. My legs are usually swollen when I get back home. Come home my love, me and our baby need you badly, and I do miss you like crazy.
I’m in the hospital waiting to be operated upon. I’m so scared, because I’m one month ahead of my EDD. But the doctor does not want to risk me losing the baby as I fell on my belly when I fainted. Your commanding officer finally told me you never made it back to camp after Fred’s rescue mission, though the pilot of the helicopter was found 3 days ago barely alive in one of the villages. But he is in critical condition and could not really explain what happened to you and the other 3 members of your unit, he just kept saying, “we crashed, pursued for miles by enemy, jump into waterfall, everybody disappeared.” I believe you are still alive and I know you will soon come home to meet me and your son. I know you might not have been getting my letters but I’ve a copy of each one of them and I will read them to you when you come home my love. Please stay alive for me and for your son, I miss you, I love you. Please come back to me.
by Olulu, the King not from Zulu
The British Red Cross launched a creative writing competition to commemorate people across the world who are missing due to situations of violence and armed conflict.
Each year, International Day of the Disappeared (30 August) presents a stark reminder that thousands of families across the world are still unaware of the fate of missing family members.
The International Day of the Disappeared (30 August) commemorates people who have gone missing throughout the world in situations of violence and armed conflict. It’s a reminder that hundreds of thousands of families are unaware of the fate of their loved ones.
The Red Cross works every day to restore family contact between separated family members. And you can help give a voice to the thousands of missing people throughout the world.
