Upcoming poetry slam ran by well-known slammer

Poets from all over the state, including two from the City of Maricopa will battle in a three-round, slam poetry contest right here in Maricopa on Saturday, March 19 at Honeycutt Coffee Cafe and Wine Bar.

The event, which is organized by the Maricopa Arts Council (MAC,) will consist of a 14-person “duel” in the art of performance of one’s own original poetry.

Slam Poetry reveals the innermost thoughts and feelings of the poets; through their spoken delivery these words evoke laughter, thought, and at times, reveal history in a new light and/or relate to ourselves personally.

MAC’s Slam Master is well-known poet and shark conservationist Bernard Schober, who performs as ‘The Klute.’  A many-times veteran of the National Slams and author of 12 books, The Klute has supervised and led all MAC’s poetry slam events since Maricopa ARTS Council introduced this type of Arts event to the city in August 2016.

The 14 first-round starting poets will include seasoned poet-performers from Ghost Poetry, AZ Masters of Poetry, and regular slams held in Sedona, Surprise, and Flagstaff, and the two winners of January’s All-MARICOPA Poetry Slam Championship: Ashanti Files and Raad Syed.

Judges will be selected from the audience, rating performances in an Olympic style. By round three, only five poets remain to compete for MAC’s three money prizes: $400, $250, $150.

National Slam rules will prevail: Each poem must be the poet’s own creation and should be no longer than 3 minutes. The event is a free-speech event, themes can be historical, political, and/or very personal.

The Slam Championship event will be preceded by a different type of artistry: a guitar mini-recital by Vito Simplicio as “Art-on-the-Spot” prelude.

Sign up here

MAC wishes to thank its donors for supporting its Slams and other Arts productions over the years, and especially for keeping the Arts alive in Maricopa during two years of dark stages, especially Council Members Bob Marsh, Nancy Smith, Henry Wade, Vice Mayor Vince Manfredi, and the Maricopa Community Foundation.

When: Saturday, March 19, at 5 p.m.

Where: Honeycutt Coffee, 44400 W Honeycutt Road, Suite 109, Maricopa 85138

Cost: Entrance fee of $5 cash