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Friday Evening Poetry Slam 2008 - 2009

Slam begins at 7 p.m. (doors open 6:45) at a different library each month:

Emcees -GO and Armando Garcia-Dávila

-GO

Aptly named, -GO is best known for producing and hosting/co-hosting
live, television and webcast shows in Northern California for 3rd Eye Collective since 2003. Though he started with children’s poetry at open mic shows, producing shows featuring nationally renowned poets helped -GO quickly evolve and he started writing spoken word.

He has been featured at 25 events and has released a chapbook titled Intangibly Cool. Aside from producing over 60 live shows and more than 40 television episodes for 2 separate series, -GO also has appeared in commercials, newspaper print, on radio and on webcast.

Along with producing, writing, and performing, his other passion is tutoring with the Adult Literacy program. -GO can also be found being a 10-year-old playing in the toy aisles at stores everywhere!

Armando Garcia-Dávila

Armando Garcia-Dávila, a landscape contractor for over twenty-five years, began writing short stories in 1990 and poetry later in that decade. He published two collections Out of My Heart/De Mi Corazón (currently in its third printing) and At the Edge of the River/ Al Lado del Rio (both books printed in English and Spanish).

His writings earned him the Literary Laureateship of Healdsburg for 2002-2003. He has also produced 2 CDs: "YES!," his love poems set to jazz, and "El Gran Viento," which relates the epic story of one who comes to America seeking a better life. The sound track is composed and performed by Ivan Rane of New Mexico. There is an English and Spanish version of the CD.

He has been interviewed and read from his works on national radio. Armando moonlights as "The Gourmet Poet," preparing first-class meals for dinner parties then reciting from his collections. Newspaper columnist Ray Holly advises that you "catch (Armando) while you still have a chance to see him in an intimate setting, before he becomes justly famous for his work."

Rules

• Each slam will have an open microphone session prior to the Poetry Slam. At the open mic, 1 piece, by anyone, may be read, with a time limit of 3 minutes.  

• The Poetry Slam consists of 3 rounds, 1 poem per round, with a time limit of 3 minutes per poem. Advancement to next round depends on score. Bring 3 poems. The timer begins as soon as the contestant  begins to speak.

• Contestants may not participate in both the open microphone and the poetry slam.

• The poetry slam is a solo event. There shall be no accompaniment of any kind. Slam is judged on content and performance.

• 5 slam judges will be selected randomly from the audience and must be 16 years or older, and must be able to produce proof of eligibility. Judges may not be slam participants. The emcee and library staff person can stand in as judges if needed.

  For official Poetry Slam rules go to:  http://poetryslam.com/   

To learn more about the official rules of competition Slam Poetry, please see the FAQ at Poetry Slam, Inc.

For further information, contact Vandy Tompkins at 545-0831.