First slam at Yours and Owls

Tonight I ran my first slam, which was also the first slam ever held at Yours and Owls. Because we're just getting started, there weren't too many competitors, but everyone seemed all right with that. One of the people who did compete brought along a lot of friends, who were very eager to show their support:

Brittany is known amongst her friends as the Slam Queen.

Brendan is chief among her fans.

The three judges had widely divergent tastes, which is as it should be for a slam, as the judges are chosen more or less at random from the audience. Luckily, the poems themselves were widely divergent, which meant there was something for everyone!

In an unexpected but very welcome turn of events, performance poet Matt Day gave a fabulous rendition of Taylor Mali's "Political Poem". I'm hoping he keeps coming back to the slams, either to compete or as guest poet. Moreover, several poets in attendance indicated that, while exams and other pressures had precluded them from performing tonight, they intend to on the next slam, which is scheduled for June 30 at 6 p.m. (To keep up with the info, "like" the Poetry at Yours and Owls page on Facebook.)

Thanks to everyone who was there: poets, judges, audience, and the great guys at Owls!