2008 Woodie Awards
Poetry slams Marin
Claire Nicole Smith
Issue date: 10/17/03 Section: A&E
The creative writing class is not the only outlet available for burgeoning young poets to practice their craft. Students at the College of Marin are being invited to create and share their works of poetry both in and out of the classroom. From prose served with pizza at Escape from New York Pizza, to laughing at limericks while doing laundry at Brainwash café and Laundromat, the young people of the Bay Area are being invited to participate in the growing poetry and spoken word open mike scene.
"I think poetry is something many young people use to express their feelings at a time when it is hard to find someone to talk to," said COM student Nicky Carlone, a poet who has enrolled in the creative writing class this semester. "That is why much of what is written by teens and college students has so much feeling, so much passion in it."
The Bay Area has always been rich in poetry. From the days of the beatnik boom of the 50's to the poetry slams of the 90's, spoken word has always drawn a crowd. These events offer an inexpensive, often free setting in which anything goes, exploring readings of prose and poetry, often accompanied by music and humor. The opportunity to listen and watch such performances is just as enjoyable as the opportunity to get up in front of an unpredictable audience and be heard. All levels of expertise, from beginners to professional writers, are welcome. (attribution...)
"Having more poetry readings available, having open mike's, etcetera, may help return poetry to the people," said James Tipton, a creative writing instructor at COM. "Everybody has untapped creativity inside them, and everybody can take time to be creative...to have fun with language. Poetry readings re-enliven the great oral tradition of poetry and remind us that poetry is not just for scholars and other poets, but to communicate universal human insights and emotions."
The Marin Poetry Center, founded in 1981 by a group of COM teachers and students, offers a variety of activities for poets and lovers of poetry. Through sponsored readings, workshops, poetry contests, and related events, the center provides a place for poets to meet and speak. It is but one of many impressive organizations that have been created in hopes of nurturing an environment of poetry.
It takes guts to get behind a mike or to go up on stage and spill your notebook of bizarre little thoughts to a group of drunk and coffee spun strangers, there for the sole purpose of listening to what you have to say. If you want to exercise your poetic muscles, wielding the power to make people laugh, or simply to command attention, the available venues are numerous. These Web pages offer complete monthly calendars of open mikes through out the Bay Area:
http://www.tarin.com/BayArea/baypoetry.html
http://www.poetryflash.org/0309.00_norcal_calendar.html
http://www.sfstation.com/literaryarts/spokenword.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/poetry/wordbeat/LocalPoetryOpenMikes.html
"I think poetry is something many young people use to express their feelings at a time when it is hard to find someone to talk to," said COM student Nicky Carlone, a poet who has enrolled in the creative writing class this semester. "That is why much of what is written by teens and college students has so much feeling, so much passion in it."
The Bay Area has always been rich in poetry. From the days of the beatnik boom of the 50's to the poetry slams of the 90's, spoken word has always drawn a crowd. These events offer an inexpensive, often free setting in which anything goes, exploring readings of prose and poetry, often accompanied by music and humor. The opportunity to listen and watch such performances is just as enjoyable as the opportunity to get up in front of an unpredictable audience and be heard. All levels of expertise, from beginners to professional writers, are welcome. (attribution...)
"Having more poetry readings available, having open mike's, etcetera, may help return poetry to the people," said James Tipton, a creative writing instructor at COM. "Everybody has untapped creativity inside them, and everybody can take time to be creative...to have fun with language. Poetry readings re-enliven the great oral tradition of poetry and remind us that poetry is not just for scholars and other poets, but to communicate universal human insights and emotions."
The Marin Poetry Center, founded in 1981 by a group of COM teachers and students, offers a variety of activities for poets and lovers of poetry. Through sponsored readings, workshops, poetry contests, and related events, the center provides a place for poets to meet and speak. It is but one of many impressive organizations that have been created in hopes of nurturing an environment of poetry.
It takes guts to get behind a mike or to go up on stage and spill your notebook of bizarre little thoughts to a group of drunk and coffee spun strangers, there for the sole purpose of listening to what you have to say. If you want to exercise your poetic muscles, wielding the power to make people laugh, or simply to command attention, the available venues are numerous. These Web pages offer complete monthly calendars of open mikes through out the Bay Area:
http://www.tarin.com/BayArea/baypoetry.html
http://www.poetryflash.org/0309.00_norcal_calendar.html
http://www.sfstation.com/literaryarts/spokenword.htm
http://www.angelfire.com/poetry/wordbeat/LocalPoetryOpenMikes.html