Poetry Slam Asheville event on April 10 will pick Asheville Slam Team; team to throw down in annual Southern Fried Poetry Slam in Atlanta

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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From loyal reader and slam mother Jesse:

Throughout the ‘90s Asheville was a nexus of poetic talent and competition. From the initial Asheville poetry slam at The Green Door to the founding of the Southern Fried Poetry Slam to the now legendary hosting of the 1994 National Poetry Slam, the roots of competitive spoken word grew strong and deep in the mountains of western North Carolina.

It was in the city of Asheville that Allan Wolf coined the phrase that captured the very essence of the slam: “The points are not the point; the point is the poetry.” Since those salad days, however, the competitive poetic voice of Asheville has faded to a whisper. The last official slam team to bear the standard for our beloved city faded from the field in 2002.

Fortunately for the world, Asheville’s poetic silence is about to end. On Sunday, April 10, 2011, Poetry Slam Asheville will host The Grand Slam Team Selection Finals to name the members of the 2011 Asheville Slam Team. The Grand Slam will feature the top eleven slam poets as determined by this past season of competition and one poet chosen by PSA’s Board of Directors. The top four poets will form Asheville’s new slam team, with the poet in fifth place becoming the team alternate. These remarkable poets will travel to Atlanta to participate in this year’s 19th annual Southern Fried Poetry Slam, thus returning Asheville to the regional and national poetry scene. 

In addition to representing the creative community on the competitive stage, Poetry Slam Asheville’s team will give back by offering local workshops, and in May, Poetry Slam Asheville will host a Mother’s Day Poetry Slam as a part of Asheville Wordfest 2011. PSA Team members will also feature in local showcases and perform throughout the southeast.

Come out on Sunday, April 10th, 2011, to the Masonic Temple at 80 Broadway in Asheville to celebrate the return of the voices of Asheville to the national poetry scene. Doors open at 7:30; show starts at 8:00. The cost of the event is five dollars. For more information contact Griffin Payne, Co-Director and SlamMaster at (919) 741-8331 or email[email protected]. Visit PSA online at www.poetryslamasheville.com.

Poetry Slam Asheville presents The Grand Slam Team Selection Finals on April 10, 2011
Contact: Griffin Payne – SlamMaster/Co-Director of Poetry Slam Asheville
[email protected]/(919)741-8331/poetryslamasheville.com