July 23rd 20th Anniversary of Slam Celebration!

Poetry Slam was invented by Marc Smith (So What?) in Chicago in 1986 and brought to Greenville in the 1990s by Glenis Redmond. Join Wits End Poetry as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Poetry Slam with a showcase of former members of Greenville and Upstate Slam Teams. Former Team Members include Glenis Redmond, Kimberly Simms, Moody Black, and more!

A poetry slam is a lyrical battle, a confession from the poet to the audience, spoken prophetically, articulately, expressively, brutally, and essentially poetically. Former Asheville, N.C. slammaster Allan Wolf coined the phrase, "The points are not the point; the point is poetry" prior to the 1994 National Poetry Slam in Asheville. The phrase has become a mantra of sorts, reminding poets and organizers that the goal of slam is to grow poetry's audience.

Catch the Carolina Slam Tour June 16th in Charlotte!

Coming May 27th to T.K. Gregg Recreation Center in Spartanburg -
THE CAROLINA SLAM TOUR featuring Columbia, Charlotte,
and Upstate Slams competing national-style team competition.

SPARTANBURG, SC: Saturday, May 27th in the T.K. Gregg Recreation Center - Wits End Poetry brings you the Carolina Slam Tour featuring the 2006 Charlotte, 2006 Columbia, and 2006 Upstate Slam Teams. The T.K. Gregg Recreation Center is located at 310 Oakland Avenue in Spartanburg. Doors open 6:30. Show starts promptly at 7:00. Tickets are $5. Judges will be chosen randomly from the audience. Please see witsendpoetry.com for more information.

Kimberly Simms, Director of Wits End Poetry, declared: "Don't miss this opportunity to catch the Carolina's hottest poets before they head to Southern Fried - they're bringing hilarious group pieces, heart warming stories, and journeys of the soul!"

Goals:

To expose Carolina audiences to the magic of the National Poetry Slam.
To create a unified slam community across the Carolinas.
To facilitate the movement of local poets to communities across the Carolinas.
To inspire Carolina communities and youth with the art of performance poetry.
To inspire and support the creation of additional poetry slams across the Carolinas.

PAST SPECIAL EVENTS

SEE RESULTS OF SOUTHERN SLAM QUEEN AND LEARN MORE

GREENVILLE, SC: On Sunday, March 5th, Wits End Poetry presents the first annual Southern Slam Queen Individuals at 7:30 in the Coffee Underground Theatre at 1 East Coffee Street in downtown Greenville. The inaugural year is limited to the top 15 female slammers from across the south east lyrically battling for the new title Southern Slam Queen and $500 in prizes. More information at www.witsendpoetry.com.

Like all slam events, competitors will be judged by 5 randomly chosen members of the audience. The mission of the Southern Slam Queen Individuals is to celebrate powerful female southern voices.

Wits End Anniversary Extravaganza
Starring Jeff McDaniel plus Live Music and Silent Art Auction.
Thursday October 20th. Doors 6:30/Show 7:30. The Handlebar.
Stone Ave. Downtown Greenville.
Tickets $6 at door. www.witsendpoetry.com