Round 1 in Arthur! With Photographs!

Round 1: Could the poets please come to the ring?
Written by Jes Sachse, Photos: Ruby Watson,
Arthur volume 42, issue 9, Nov. 12 2007

Last Thursday, The Spill gave the expressions filled to the brim, poetry slam and some like it hot a whole new meaning. Yes, the merry Spill was more full than I’ve ever seen it, with poets, slammers, and spectators alike. And if you’re imagining a room full of black berets and finger snapping, well you’d better check your clichés at the door. The crowd was comprised of young and old, students and professors, bar-goers and bar-keep, rebel rousers and dread-heads, plaid patrons and dangly-earring wearers – all of whom were a part of what became a very memorable evening.


Ziy – the slam’s emcee – is not only a veteran to the Peterborough stage, but the Toronto slam scene as well. A crowd favorite, she pumped up the room with an audience participation piece that had us clanging our glasses, stomping our feet, and chanting "C’mon P-town, join the SLAM NATION!"

There were eight slammer-slots, so it was first come first serve. An open mic followed the slam, so that anyone that didn’t make the slam sign up, or anyone that didn’t want to compete could still perform. From politics to family anecdotes, and vibrators to Viagra, these poets brought great presence, rhythm and variety to an audience that was laughing, crying, and often applauding thunderously.

Four randomly selected judges were relied on for scores from 1 to 5 (five being un-fucking-believable), to a tallied score out of 20 for each piece performed. The slam consisted of two rounds (with no eliminations) to give poets a chance to redeem themselves if they scored low in the first round, or just another chance to wow the crowd. But true slammers know it’s never about the points.

However, a competition is a competition and a competition demands a winner. And this month’s winner was Ke McNeill, poetic alias ‘Girl with the’. Ke has been slamming all over the country, from her hometown in Brandon, Manitoba, to the west coast, to the big T.O. But for the last three she years her talent and experience have been residing here, studying English and Environmental Science at Trent. And now she’s a piece of the organizational pie behind Round 1 – Peterborough’s monthly performance poetry series.

The general reaction after the event seemed to be an amalgamation of ‘that was incredible’ and ‘I didn’t realize so many people were into poetry!’ There have been many passionate talented poets dwelling in and passing through our beloved Peterpatch for some time now so it comes as no surprise that the event was such a success, because the surfacing of such a booming poet-scene was much overdue.

So to you, you sea of seasoned slammers, jammers, linguistic lords, poetic giants, aspiring lyricists, phonetic fiends, typographical titans, and savvy sport spectators – this humble wordsmith encourages you to not only book ALL of the slam nights off at Pita Pit (or whichever humble joint serves to pay the bills), but to immerse yourself.

Step one: Rent any and every poetry related movie from Have You Seen. Yes, that includes everything from Dead Poets Society to Slamnation (documentary of one team’s journey to the Slam Nationals), to any seasons of the HBO series Def Poetry.

Step two: Write. Anything. Everything. Write poetry. Write prose. Write raps and rhymes. Write rules. Break rules. Write pick up lines. Write while riding the bus, eating a sandwich, sitting on the crapper – your means and inspirations are limitless – as are the styles you may choose.

Step three: Perform…for your shower head. Your mother. Your roommates. For an audience. Perform at slams. Perform at open mics. Perform at barmitzvahs. Perform at weddings. Open for the Stones. Open for Britney. The world is your oyster.


There are many reasons to write and even more reasons to share. But I’ll let Ziy leave you with the poet-coveted last word, as she said it quite well last Thursday:

"It’s been a long time coming, but now it’s here,
So c’mon everyone, and give a cheer
To ‘Girl with the’ and this rare invitation,
To seize the occasion,
Give up your hesitation,
No intimidation,
Share your creations,
Vent your frustrations,
Show your elation.
Now we’re all buzzing with anticipation,
So without further pontification,
Make this your loudest ovation.
C’mon, P’town, and join the slam nation!"

To find Round 1 online, for info about upcoming slams, or to get a hold of the organizers, go to http://peterboroughpoetryslam.blogspot.com. The next slam is scheduled for Thursday, December 13 from 7-9pm at the Spill. The event is free, all ages, licensed, barrier-free and queer positive.