The Poetry Fix News
| VOL. III, ISSUE 01 | May 21, 2005 |
And the winner is...
A powerhouse sister and the host of Poetry Café @ Silver Shadows (5550 Sterret Place Columbia, MD) – Naima Jahmaal – burned the 4th Annual Women’s Words Slam to the ground! I had never heard of Naima (not that that means squat) before she called me about a month ago, responding to one of my 5 million e-blast about the upcoming event, and wanting to sign on for the slam. We played phone tag for a better part of the day, but finally I got her info and logged her in as one of the 15 women (13 competed last night) who would perform on May 20th. Although Naima stole the show, she was by no means the only talented sister on the roster. Sonya Renee (2004 National Slam Champion) missed the top spot by a hair! For her troubles, she walked away with the second prize of $50.00. Naima is somewhere, sitting pretty on $200.00. I suggest those who know her make nice and maybe she’ll buy you a drink or two.
By all accounts the 4th Annual Women’s Words Slam was a success. The show was held at Café Mawonja (624 T Street, NW), whose manager was stunned by the more than 150 poetry loving people that squeezed into the venue to watch these ridiculously talented women do the damn thing. In planning the show, I met with the manager a couple times and I think he thought I was talking trash when I warned him that more than 100 people would be descending on the bright yellow restaurant tucked away on T Street. This was my fourth year planning this event (which originated at Sisterspace and Books) and I had seen the attendance bloom over the years. After last night’s standing room only show, I am totally convinced that folks are way into women poets and want to see what they have to offer. More than a dozen people came up to me after the show to ask how I had gotten all these people to show up on a basically random, semi-rainy and cold, Friday night. I harassed and threatened! Actually, more than six months goes into planning this event. Because this is basically a one woman production, I have to figure out well in advance how I’m going to put this show together.
This year, because my beloved Sisterspace and Books was not available (yes, they are still trying to find permanent space) I had the added burden of finding a venue to host the event. As all the poetry organizers know, that is no easy feat! Either the rental fee is astronomical or there is a scarcity of venues that want to take the risk of having a poetry event on a Friday night. Café Mawonja, a relatively new establishment, took the risk and I hope it paid off with more Blue Nile fish dinners (which are frickin’ off the chain), plantains, and cold beer, sold than ever before. Once I get the venue squared the away, I immediately started sweating how I was going to come up with the prize money and cover the deposit I had put down. Normally, Sisterspace and Books handled the money end and I was responsible for getting folks in the seats. When I realized I was going to be totally responsible for the financial aspect of the show this year, I really thought about canceling.
I was just scraping by on a poet’s salary when the six month start date for the planning of the show reared its ugly head. But ultimately, I continue to believe that the Women’s Words series is a viable and important cultural event. Here is the opportunity for women of all walks of life and skill level to share the same stage. When you have gone to your share of poetry venues like I have, you know most of the poets on the circuit and there are very few “newbies” that dare to enter slams in large numbers. I continue to envision Women’s Words as an open event that allows seasoned slam vets, like Sonya Renee and Charneice Fox, to share the mic with women who want to offer up the poem they wrote for their dying best friend. That is some poetic gumbo that really makes the evening, at least in my humble opinion. I think last night’s show was representative of that gumbo. So, my policy is that I don’t pre-screen the poets (scary but not risky – ‘cause I can always depend on my seasoned vets showing up for the prize money). If you are brave enough to stand in front of over 100 people, and try to engage them for three minutes and ten seconds, I say go for it! Competition gives me the hives!
So after I crunch the numbers and give myself several pep talks I go about promoting the show. I start with email teasers. I am generally testing the waters to gauge the interest and see which poets pop up out of the woodwork first. In reality, the majority of the slam slots are filled within the first week. There are more than 1,000 people on my e-list and if they each just forward it to one person I’m good. The remaining slots are usually filled the last week before the slam. I get my fair share of phone calls from some emerging poet’s best friend or lover who thinks she is the next best thing (and she is) and wants to know if there is a slot for her. Again, I never turn anyone away. After four years, I have this poet booking thing down to a science. Truth be told, I sign up about 20-25 poets for this event. I have learned that poets are sometimes fickled, moody, and unreliable creatures (sorry poet friends but you know I’m telling the truth). No less than five poets cancelled on me the week before the slam. Some had really good reasons and some simply stopped returning my messages. I know that the day of the show, I am going to have at least one poet no-show but I will pick up one poet onsite about an hour before the event. It’s a crazy formula but for some crazy reason it works.
After the email blast, I head out to the venues. I perform, I chat folks up, I chat really good poets up, and talk up Women’s Words. At some point, I also enlist my friends to help out. At this stage of my poetry life I have a good number of poet friends and fans and they do a fantastic job of promoting me, The Poetry Fix, and Women’s Words. Thanks guys. That means the word is getting out even if I don’t make it to all the venues. This year, I was a little more aggressive about getting publicity for the event. I approached The Washington Post, The Washington Blade and some other smaller publications. The Washington Post came through in a big way (thanks Niki Miller) and made Women’s Words the “buzzworthy event of week”. I’m sure that article helped boost attendance! I also got some free radio air time, when Konyka from WPFW also gave me the opportunity to perform a poem on the air and promote the event.
THE POETRY FIX
PRESENTS
THE 4th ANNUAL WOMEN’S WORDS SLAM CHAMPION
Naima Jahmaal
I finished the PR blitz by posting the event on craigslist, dcpages, gaydc, womo, and the dozen or so e-lists that I belong to.
Finally, I let the performing poets in free. A lot of slams require a registration fee from the poets to guarantee their attendance and to secure some of the prize money up front. Not a bad practice, but I guess I’m just not there yet. I’m more interested in getting a large audience so I exchange the entry fee for all the folks that the poets know. Poets are asked to talk up the event, invite friends, put it on their websites and announce it during their performances at the various venues. From the large fan clubs that showed up last night, for now, the exchange seems to work.
So that’s it! A little bit of worrying mixed with a large dose of social life, a dash of lucky press, a cup of hardwork, bake on six months - and bingo you got yourself a successful annual slam.
And for those wondering where all the money goes. I'm cursed with being a do-gooder social worker. Every year the money goes to an organization or entity that is doing the work to promote women. This year, the money that was raised (after the prize money and various small bills related to the show were paid - we ended up with $300.00) goes to The Wanda Alston Memorial Scholarship Fund – established by Southeastern University. Wanda was the LGBT activist that was slain in her home in March. Her death was a devastating loss to the community and I hope the money will assist in nurturing another dynamic and fearless activist.
So until next year, remember Poetry ROCKS and Women ROCK HARDER!
Michelle
Secrets In The Park:
A Pride Affair
presented by
Black Butterfly Events
Sunday, May 29, 2005.
ALL YOU CAN EAT
Fish Fry/BBQ
with an advance $20.00 donation
Location will be disclosed upon donation/ticket receipt.
For ticket information contact:
Lisa Joyner at 202.610.4036
or
Michelle Sewell at 301.254.4488
or to purchase online
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