Nurturing a strong, interconnected literary community in Whatcom County and beyond.
The Salish Sea Poetry Slam
Check out these slam poetry events
sponsored by the Salish Sea Poetry Festival!
Slam and Spoken Word Workshop: October 21, 6:30-8pm, Western Washington University Bond Hall 112
$5-10 suggested donation | Free for high school and college students
Join Ryler Dustin, two-time National Poetry Slam competitor and Indie World Slam finalist, for a casual and supportive workshop focused on performance basics and discovering your own unique performance style.
This workshop is being offered in partner with with WWU's Poets and Lyricists Society. We'll draw inspiration from slam poetry greats like Andrea Gibson, Anis Mogjani, and more.
-
To get the most out of this workshop: Bring a notebook and writing utensil, some of your own work that you'd like to practice reading or performing, and a poem by someone else that you think would be fun to read aloud. If you can, also bring a friend!
-
This workshop is great for poets, fiction writers, stand-up comedians, spoken word artists, and anyone looking to connect to a live audience and hold their attention.
-
This workshop will help prepare folks to enter the all-ages Bellingham Qualifier Poetry Slam on 11/1--a fun, supportive reading in which poets will get to try their hand at slam and spoken word. See below for more details. The top two poets from this slam will also win the chance to compete in our festival's big slam on 11/8.
-
Questions? Email rylerdustin@gmail.com.
The Bellingham Qualifier Poetry Slam
November 1, 4-6pm, Stone’s Throw Brewing
All ages | $5-10 suggested donation
Come cheer on local poets!
Are you interested in competing? Here are the details you need to know as a competitor:
-
SHOW UP AT 3:15PM. This will let us check you in and make sure you’re comfortable before the event starts.
-
BRING 3 POEMS. The slam will be 3 rounds, and higher-scoring poets will advance after each round. Come with 3 poems in case you make it all the way to the final round.
-
LIMIT EACH POEM YOU SHARE TO 3 MINUTES. After 3:15, you’ll be penalized for every 10 seconds that you go over.
-
MEMORIZATION IS NOT REQUIRED. Memorizing a poem can sometimes help judges feel your words more powerfully, but reading a poem on the page is often very successful–especially since your poetry is amazing!
-
THE TOP 2 POETS WIN $30 AND GAIN ENTRY TO THE SALISH SEA POETRY SLAM. Get first or second place and you can represent Bellingham in the Salish Sea Poetry Slam (see below for details on this event). In addition, the third place poet will be invited to share a poem to open the Salish Sea Poetry Slam.
-
COME PREPARED TO CHEER FOR YOUR COMPETITORS. Slam is all about community. Every good slam poet knows that appeasing random strangers, not to mention a numerical assessment of art, is silly. The point isn’t the points, but the poetry we hear and the community we make along the way.
-
AVOID HATEFUL OR ULTRA-EXPLICIT MATERIAL. Swearing is generally fine. Not sure if your work is OK to share? Email rylerdustin@gmail.com and include a copy of any poems you're unsure about. By emailing, you consent to your work being shared with Ryler and other event organizers (in confidence). We'll get back and let you know.
-
LET US MAKE YOU FEEL AT HOME. Reach out to rylerdustin@gmail.com if we can do anything to accommodate you, or if you have any other questions.
-
SEE OTHER OFFICIAL SLAM RULES AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE.
-
EMAIL RYLERDUSTIN@GMAIL.COM WITH ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
The Salish Sea Poetry Slam: November 8, 8pm, Whatcom Museum's Old City Hall Building
All ages | $5-10 suggested donation
The keynote event of the Salish Sea Poetry Festival will be the Salish Sea Poetry Slam: a fun-spirited, audience-judged poetry throwdown in which representatives from Bellingham, Seattle, Portland, and Spokane will recite their work. Those poets who win the hearts and minds of five random judges selected from the audience will advance through the competition, with one poet laying claim to $300.
Arrive at 6pm to hear Washington Poet Laureatte Derek Sheffield read, take a one-hour break from 7-8pm, and pop back for the slam!
Never heard of poetry slam? The concept is simple: each poet has three minutes to read or recite a poem. Five judges selected from the audience at the start of the night will rate each poem 0.0-10.0 points. Since the 1980’s, poetry slam has been an explosive and community-oriented way to bring poetry off the page and into the spotlight. And now we’re hosting Bellingham’s first regional championship slam, featuring the best of the Pacific Northwest.
Be prepared to laugh, cry, hoot, holler, and snap your fingers beatnik-style as poets strive to blow your preconceptions of poetry out of the water, to shake you alive with their words, and to remind us that good writing is about powerful feeling.
Interested in competing? Want to see a local slam? Heck yeah! Check out the two events above this one. You could just become a Bellingham poetry legend this year!
ADDITIONAL SLAM RULES FOR COMPETITORS
-
Poems must be the poet’s own original work.
-
Poems may not be repeated in subsequent rounds.
-
No costumes or props of any kind.
-
No instruments or pre-recorded music, video accompaniment, or other pre-recorded elements.
-
Hate speech will immediately disqualify a poet. Emotions and passion are encouraged.
-
Display good sense and good sportsmanship.