Beatriz
Hausner was crowned champion of this event,
after a close last round
with
Kevin Connolly!
Silent Slam
a write-off featuring:
Di Brandt, Kevin Connolly, Beatriz Hausner, Rosina Kazi, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Jennifer LoveGrove, Peter McPhee & Mariko Tamaki
Wednesday, April 6, 2005, 8 p.m.
Curator: Sandra Alland
Judges: ahdri zhina mandiela, Stuart Ross and Priscila Uppal
A “slam” is traditionally an event where writers compete by performing their work in front of an audience and a panel of judges. There’s an emphasis on memorization of previously written material, live performance techniques, and oral delivery. For Silent Slam, we will riff upon and expand this tradition by shifting the focus to the live creation of the written word. The event will raise awareness of National Poetry Month, and raise money and awareness for Literature for Life, a non-profit literacy organization for teen mothers.
Although a slam is a competition, Silent Slam will place more focus on the process than on who is “winning”. The main objective is for the audience to experience the often hidden world of creation. Two at a time, eight authors will spend ten minutes composing at a computer. Their poetry will be projected on the walls for the audience and judges to read as it is created.
Participating writers come from a variety of backgrounds, both culturally and stylistically. We have an exciting balance of performance-oriented and text-based writers, established and emerging writers. For each round of the slam, the writers will be given a theme or game to help them begin. The writers will also interact with the lush music of DJ Murr of LAL. Finally, there will be a silent auction, with many goodies and art by Stef Lenk, Aviva Armour-Ostroff and more. In one round of the slam, poets will be asked to write about one of the pieces of art from the auction.
Between relaxing to great music and talking with new and old friends, audience members will have the opportunity to view writers doing what they usually do in the privacy of their own homes. We'll witness them making magic, discover the uniqueness of their performance in print, and – perhaps best of all – watch them sweat.
$7-10 (proceeds to Literature for Life), tickets at the door
The Underground at the Drake Hotel
(1150 Queen St West, near Dovercourt)
In celebration of National Poetry Month.
We
acknowledge the support of the
Canada Council for the Arts and
The League of Canadian Poets.