Say What?! World Poetry Day Weekend Slam

 

 REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

GREENVILLE, SC: Sunday 3/19/23, Say What?! Poetry Slam will be at The Radio Room! Don't miss the opportunity to witness 10 slam poets in the world poetry day weekend slam. World Poetry Day celebrates one of humanity's most treasured forms of cultural linguistic expression and identity. HOST Moody Black. The first-place prize is $100.

The Radio Room 110 Poinsett Hwy, Greenville, SC 29609. 7:30pm. $15.

Poets register below using PayPal or Cash app $15 to $witsendpoetry.
Audience tickets are available via Eventbrite. 

Poet Name

 

HOST: Moody Black; Bout Manager: Black Phoenix

Wits End Poetry's mission is to mentor and grow Carolina poetry talent in order to help poets make a living as poets.  The poetry slam events do have a short open mic available for those with "audience tickets" which happens from 7:30 to 8:00pm.

REGISTERED POETS:

1. ShAy Black

2.  Azar King

3.   

4.   

5.  

6.  

7.  

8.  

9. 

10. 

Limited to 10 poets. No waitlist. Poets scroll to the bottom of this page to see all the rules.

REGISTER NOW! VIA CASHAPP ($WITSENDPOETRY) OR PAYPAL. REGISTRATION IS OPEN. Cashapp $15 to $witsendpoetry with the words POET. "poet name" to register or register ABOVE with Paypal. $15 General Admission. Buying an audience ticket does not register you for the slam. 

Radio Room is a large event space with room for social distancing. FULL RESTAURANT TILL 11 PM AND FULL BAR AVAILABLE TILL 2. Masks are recommended for those unvaccinated. Limited tickets available. Produced by Wits End Poetry, these poetry events are made possible in part by the generous support of the South Carolina Arts Commission and the Metropolitan Arts Council with funds received from the City of Greenville, BMW Manufacturing Company, Michelin North America, Inc., SEW Eurodrive and the South Carolina Arts Commission. More information at www.witsendpoetry.com.

REGISTERED POETS: Order will be randomly drawn on the night.

Tournament rules:
1. Prize Money: $100
2. Bout draw is at 7:15pm
If you are late for the draw, you will automatically be the 1st poet in the slam!
3. We are only taking 10 poets. No Waiting List. No refunds.
4. No Tie for First. In the event that there is a tie for first after the third round, Judges will vote for the winner by writing down the name of the poet who they believe should win.
5. Three Round Poetry Slam. 10-6-3. First two rounds are cumulative. Final round is clean slate. Order will be high to low for second round. Final round will be redrawn for order.
6. The Time Limit. 3:00 minute time limit. A poet is certainly allowed several full seconds to adjust the microphone and get settled, but as soon as s/he makes a connection with the audience (“Hey look, she’s been standing there for 10 seconds and hasn’t even moved”), the timekeeper can start the clock. 

After 3:00 minutes, there is a 10-second grace period (for example: up to and including 3:10:00). Starting at one-hundredth of a second over the grace period, 3:10:01 a penalty is automatically deducted of .5 from the poet’s overall score. An additional .5 is deducted for each additional 10 seconds. THE MC/BM MAY STOP THE POET AT 4:00 MINUTES.
7. Influencing the Crowd Before the Bout Begins. Poets are allowed to talk casually with anyone in the crowd before the bout begins (except the judges, if they have already been chosen). They are not, however, allowed to give anything to the audience or have anyone do this for them. See full PSI
 tournament rules for more information.
PSI Rules

1) Poems can be on any subject and in any style.

2) Each poet must perform work that they have created. Sampling should be no longer than 30 seconds of the overall poem. 

3) No props. Generally, poets are allowed to use their given

environment and the accouterments it offers microphones, mic stands,

the stage itself, chairs on stage, a table or bar top, the aisle as long as

these accouterments are available to other competitors as well. The rule

concerning props is not intended to squelch the spontaneity,

unpredictability, or on-the-fly choreography that people love about the

slam; its intent is to keep the focus on the words rather than objects.

Refer to Section V (Definitions) for further clarification on what is and is

not a prop. Poets who inadvertently use a prop (for example, a timely yet

unwitting grab at a necklace) can be immediately penalized two points if

the MC of the bout deems the effect of the violation to have been

appreciable, but sufficiently lacking in specific intent. A formal protest

need not be lodged before the MC can penalize a poet in this way,

however, the decision of the MC can be appealed after the bout.

Individuals whose use of props in a poem appears to be more calculated

and the result of a specific intent to enhance, illustrate, underscore, or

otherwise augment the words of the poem will be given a retroactive

score for the poem equal to two points less than the lowest scoring

poem in that bout. This deduction, which can only be applied after a

formal protest has been lodged against the offending poet, will not be

made by the MC, but by the Protest Committee.

4) No musical instruments or pre-recorded music, a poem which

violates this rule will be assessed a score of zero.

5) No costumes. (Do not put on or take off clothing during bout)The Protest Committee may apply a two-point deduction for violation of the costume rule. For example don't wear a superman shirt and do a poem about superman. Don't wear a witch hat and do a poem about witches. So do not wear clothing that highlights or underscores your poem content. Wear your normal street clothes

Queen of The South 2023

 

Invitational Poetry Slam Only!!!

Queen of the South Slam. $500 in prize money! This is an Invitational Poetry Slam featuring the top 10 female poets in the South East. To finish National Poetry Month with a magical bang - you don't want to miss this exciting high-energy poetry slam that will spotlight emerging and veteran poetic artists who identify as women from across four states. This event, founded in Greenville by Kimberly Simms, inspired the creation of the national WOWps. Hosted by Jenice Pleasant.

$500 in Prizes

The Radio Room, 110 Poinsette Hwy, Greenville, SC 29609. 7:30pm. $15.

Poets register below using PayPal or Cash app $10 to $witsendpoetry.

Audience tickets are available via Eventbrite. 

Contact Kimberly Simms or ShAy Black to sign up

Poet Name

 

Invitational Poets List:

1.  ShAy Black

2.  

3.  

4.  

5.  

6.  

7.  

8.  

9.  

10.  

Volunteers will Receive a Free Audience Ticket

Sign-up to be a volunteer at the poetry slam!  

http://witsendpoetry.blogspot.com/p/volunteer.html

SLAM RULES

1. Prize Money: First Prize $350
                           Second Prize $100
                           Third Prize $50
2. Bout draw is at 7:15pm 10 Poets. No Waiting List. No refunds. 
3. This is a three-round poetry slam. 10-6-4 Cut.

4. Queen of the South Rules

• The first two rounds of the competition are cumulative with the first round featuring 10 poets then cutting down to 6. The final round will feature only the top 4 poets and will be a clean slate. Standard tournament slam rules apply. Prop, plagiarism or costume violations will result in [-2 ] points from the score for that round. There will not be a tiebreaker round, rather prize money will be split in the event of a tie for first. If there is a tie during preliminary rounds, up to one additional poet may advance in some cases. Poets should bring at least 3 poems. Poems do not need to be memorized but memorization will help your score. Learn more about slam at http://www.witsendpoetry.com/whatisslam.html. 

5. The Time Limit. 3:00 minute time limit. At 3:10:01 a time penalty will be assessed.  A poet is certainly allowed several full seconds to adjust the microphone and get settled, but as soon as s/he makes a connection with the audience (“Hey look, she’s been standing there for 10 seconds and hasn’t even moved”), the timekeeper can start the clock. After 3:00 minutes, there is a 10-second grace period (for example: (in the 3 minute rotation) up to and including 3:10:00). Starting at one hundredth of a second over the grace period, a penalty is automatically deducted  of .5 from the poet’s overall score, and an additional .5 is deducted for each additional 10 seconds. THE MC/BM MAY STOP THE POET AT 4:00 MINUTES.

6. Influencing the Crowd Before the Bout Begins. Poets are allowed to talk casually with anyone in the crowd before the bout begins (except the judges, if they have already been chosen). They are not, however, allowed to give anything to the audience or have anyone do this for them. See full PSI
 tournament rules for more information.
7. Black Phoenix is the slammaster. Please see our page What is Slam for full rules as well as below. Kimberly Simms will adjudicate any protests. 

Slam Rules

1) Poems can be on any subject and in any style.

2) Each poet must perform an original work that they have created.

3) No props. Generally, poets are allowed to use their given

environment and the accouterments it offers microphones, mic stands,

the stage itself, chairs on stage, a table or bar top, the aisle as long as

these accouterments are available to other competitors as well. The rule

concerning props is not intended to squelch the spontaneity,

unpredictability, or on-the-fly choreography that people love about the

slam; its intent is to keep the focus on the words rather than objects.

Refer to Section V (Definitions) for further clarification on what is and is

not a prop. Poets who inadvertently use a prop (for example, a timely yet

unwitting grab at a necklace) can be immediately penalized two points if

the MC of the bout deems the effect of the violation to have been

appreciable, but sufficiently lacking in specific intent. A formal protest

need not be lodged before the MC can penalize a poet in this way,

however, the decision of the MC can be appealed after the bout.

Individuals whose use of props in a poem appears to be more calculated

and the result of a specific intent to enhance, illustrate, underscore, or

otherwise augment the words of the poem will be given a retroactive

score for the poem equal to two points less than the lowest scoring

poem in that bout. This deduction, which can only be applied after a

formal protest has been lodged against the offending poet, will not be

made by the MC, but by the Protest Committee.

4) No musical instruments or pre-recorded music, a poem which

violates this rule will be assessed a score of zero.

5) No costumes. (Do not put on or take off clothing during bout)The Protest Committee may apply a two-point deduction for violation of the costume rule.

INVITATIONAL NOTES:

The Queen of the South Slam is a showcase of the top emerging and veteran female voices in the Southeast. Poets may be nominated by a slammaster, Kimberly Simms or have participated in a previous Wits End Event to qualify if they are over 21 and in good standing with WEP.

The historical annual all-women poetry slam held in Greenville South Carolina celebrates 10 years of providing a platform where the women in the southeastern region showcase their power and spoken word skills! This event was conceived in 2005 and led to the formation of the Women of the World Slam.

Questions email witsendpoetrysc@gmail.com.

First Prize $350
Second Prize $100
Third Prize $50

In the event of a tie, the two champions will each receive $175.
And the 2nd place will receive $50. (With no 3rd place).

Say What?! 2023 Grand Slam

 

GREENVILLE, SC: Sunday February 5, 2023 7:30 PM at Coffee Underground. Say What?! will have its annual Greenville Grand Slam for Wits End Poetry Team! This slam is for pre-qualified poets only  who have earned enough points to try out for the team. This year the team will be competing in Knoxville, TN representing Greenville, SC in the Southern Fried Poetry Slam. Don't miss the opportunity to witness 11 amazing poets in this grand slam to earn a spot on Say What?! slam team. 

The Radio Room, 110 Poinsette Hwy, Greenville, SC 29609. 7:30pm. $15.

Poets register below using PayPal or Cash app $10 to $witsendpoetry.

Audience tickets are available via Eventbrite. 

Poet Name

 

HOST: Kimberly Simms. Bout Manager: Black Phoenix

Wits End Poetry's mission is to mentor and grow Carolina poetry talent in order to help poets make a living as poets.  The poetry slam events do have a short open mic available for those with "audience tickets" which happens from 7:30 to 8:00pm.

REGISTERED POETS:

1.   Dove Dupree

2.   Azar King

3.  Your Favorite Murse

4.  Soleil Solace

5.  ShAy Black

6.  Savvy Rose

7.  Southern Stylez

8.  Jenice Pleasant

9.  Marley Quinn

10.  

11.

 

Limited to 11 pre-qualified poets. No waitlist. Poets scroll to the bottom of this page to see all the rules.

REGISTER NOW! VIA CASHAPP ($WITSENDPOETRY) OR PAYPAL. REGISTRATION IS OPEN. Cashapp $10 to $witsendpoetry with the words POET. "poet name" to register or register ABOVE with Paypal. $10 General Admission. Buying an audience ticket does not register you for the slam. 

Coffee Underground has enough room for social distancing. RESTAURANT TILL 8PM AND FULL BAR AVAILABLE TILL 10PM. Masks are recommended for those unvaccinated. Limited tickets available. Produced by Wits End Poetry, these poetry events are made possible in part by the generous support of the South Carolina Arts Commission and the Metropolitan Arts Council with funds received from the City of Greenville, BMW Manufacturing Company, Michelin North America, Inc., SEW Eurodrive and the South Carolina Arts Commission. More information at www.witsendpoetry.com.

REGISTERED POETS: Order will be randomly drawn on the night.

Tournament rules:
1. Pre-qualified poets
2. Bout draw is at 7:15pm
If you are late for the draw, you will automatically be the 1st poet in the slam!
3. We are only taking 10 poets. No Waiting List. No refunds.
4. No Tie for First. In the event that there is a tie for first after the third round, then each poet tied for first will perform one additional poem. A coin flip will determine order. Judges will vote for the winner by writing down the name of the poet who they believe should win.
5. Three Round Poetry Slam. 10-6-3. First two rounds are cumulative. Final round is clean slate. Order will be high to low for second round. Final round will be redrawn for order.
6. The Time Limit. 3:00 minute time limit. A poet is certainly allowed several full seconds to adjust the microphone and get settled, but as soon as s/he makes a connection with the audience (“Hey look, she’s been standing there for 10 seconds and hasn’t even moved”), the timekeeper can start the clock. 

After 3:00 minutes, there is a 10-second grace period (for example: up to and including 3:10:00). Starting at one-hundredth of a second over the grace period, 3:10:01 a penalty is automatically deducted of .5 from the poet’s overall score. An additional .5 is deducted for each additional 10 seconds. THE MC/BM MAY STOP THE POET AT 4:00 MINUTES.
7. Influencing the Crowd Before the Bout Begins. Poets are allowed to talk casually with anyone in the crowd before the bout begins (except the judges, if they have already been chosen). They are not, however, allowed to give anything to the audience or have anyone do this for them. See full PSI
 tournament rules for more information.
PSI Rules

1) Poems can be on any subject and in any style.

2) Each poet must perform work that they have created. Sampling should be no longer than 30 seconds of the overall poem. 

3) No props. Generally, poets are allowed to use their given

environment and the accouterments it offers microphones, mic stands,

the stage itself, chairs on stage, a table or bar top, the aisle as long as

these accouterments are available to other competitors as well. The rule

concerning props is not intended to squelch the spontaneity,

unpredictability, or on-the-fly choreography that people love about the

slam; its intent is to keep the focus on the words rather than objects.

Refer to Section V (Definitions) for further clarification on what is and is

not a prop. Poets who inadvertently use a prop (for example, a timely yet

unwitting grab at a necklace) can be immediately penalized two points if

the MC of the bout deems the effect of the violation to have been

appreciable, but sufficiently lacking in specific intent. A formal protest

need not be lodged before the MC can penalize a poet in this way,

however, the decision of the MC can be appealed after the bout.

Individuals whose use of props in a poem appears to be more calculated

and the result of a specific intent to enhance, illustrate, underscore, or

otherwise augment the words of the poem will be given a retroactive

score for the poem equal to two points less than the lowest scoring

poem in that bout. This deduction, which can only be applied after a

formal protest has been lodged against the offending poet, will not be

made by the MC, but by the Protest Committee.

4) No musical instruments or pre-recorded music, a poem which

violates this rule will be assessed a score of zero.

5) No costumes. (Do not put on or take off clothing during bout)The Protest Committee may apply a two-point deduction for violation of the costume rule. For example don't wear a superman shirt and do a poem about superman. Don't wear a witch hat and do a poem about witches. So do not wear clothing that highlights or underscores your poem content. Wear your normal street clothes. 

Bless the Mic Poetry Slam & Holiday Party

 

 REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

GREENVILLE, SC: Sunday 12/18/22, 7:30 PM at the Radio Room. Bless The Mic Poetry Slam & Holiday Party at The Radio Room! This annual slam is the gift of spiting one's truth.  Don't miss the opportunity to witness 10 slam poets in this holiday event bless you with their power and spoken word skills! HOST Moody Black. The first-place prize is $100.

The Radio Room 110 Poinsett Hwy, Greenville, SC 29609. 7:30pm. $15.

Poets register below using PayPal or Cash app $15 to $witsendpoetry.
Audience tickets are available via Eventbrite. 

Poet Name

 

HOST: Moody Black; Bout Manager: Black Phoenix

Wits End Poetry's mission is to mentor and grow Carolina poetry talent in order to help poets make a living as poets.  The poetry slam events do have a short open mic available for those with "audience tickets" which happens from 7:30 to 8:00pm.

REGISTERED POETS:

1. ShAy Black

2.  Azar King

3. Black Phoenix 

4.  Soleil

5. Your Favorite Murse

6. Savvy Rose

7. Marleyquinn

8. Dove Dupree

9. 

10. 

Limited to 10 poets. No waitlist. Poets scroll to the bottom of this page to see all the rules.

REGISTER NOW! VIA CASHAPP ($WITSENDPOETRY) OR PAYPAL. REGISTRATION IS OPEN. Cashapp $15 to $witsendpoetry with the words POET. "poet name" to register or register ABOVE with Paypal. $15 General Admission. Buying an audience ticket does not register you for the slam. 

Radio Room is a large event space with room for social distancing. FULL RESTAURANT TILL 11 PM AND FULL BAR AVAILABLE TILL 2. Masks are recommended for those unvaccinated. Limited tickets available. Produced by Wits End Poetry, these poetry events are made possible in part by the generous support of the South Carolina Arts Commission and the Metropolitan Arts Council with funds received from the City of Greenville, BMW Manufacturing Company, Michelin North America, Inc., SEW Eurodrive and the South Carolina Arts Commission. More information at www.witsendpoetry.com.

REGISTERED POETS: Order will be randomly drawn on the night.

Tournament rules:
1. Prize Money: $100
2. Bout draw is at 7:15pm
If you are late for the draw, you will automatically be the 1st poet in the slam!
3. We are only taking 10 poets. No Waiting List. No refunds.
4. No Tie for First. In the event that there is a tie for first after the third round, Judges will vote for the winner by writing down the name of the poet who they believe should win.
5. Three Round Poetry Slam. 10-6-3. First two rounds are cumulative. Final round is clean slate. Order will be high to low for second round. Final round will be redrawn for order.
6. The Time Limit. 3:00 minute time limit. A poet is certainly allowed several full seconds to adjust the microphone and get settled, but as soon as s/he makes a connection with the audience (“Hey look, she’s been standing there for 10 seconds and hasn’t even moved”), the timekeeper can start the clock. 

After 3:00 minutes, there is a 10-second grace period (for example: up to and including 3:10:00). Starting at one-hundredth of a second over the grace period, 3:10:01 a penalty is automatically deducted of .5 from the poet’s overall score. An additional .5 is deducted for each additional 10 seconds. THE MC/BM MAY STOP THE POET AT 4:00 MINUTES.
7. Influencing the Crowd Before the Bout Begins. Poets are allowed to talk casually with anyone in the crowd before the bout begins (except the judges, if they have already been chosen). They are not, however, allowed to give anything to the audience or have anyone do this for them. See full PSI
 tournament rules for more information.
PSI Rules

1) Poems can be on any subject and in any style.

2) Each poet must perform work that they have created. Sampling should be no longer than 30 seconds of the overall poem. 

3) No props. Generally, poets are allowed to use their given

environment and the accouterments it offers microphones, mic stands,

the stage itself, chairs on stage, a table or bar top, the aisle as long as

these accouterments are available to other competitors as well. The rule

concerning props is not intended to squelch the spontaneity,

unpredictability, or on-the-fly choreography that people love about the

slam; its intent is to keep the focus on the words rather than objects.

Refer to Section V (Definitions) for further clarification on what is and is

not a prop. Poets who inadvertently use a prop (for example, a timely yet

unwitting grab at a necklace) can be immediately penalized two points if

the MC of the bout deems the effect of the violation to have been

appreciable, but sufficiently lacking in specific intent. A formal protest

need not be lodged before the MC can penalize a poet in this way,

however, the decision of the MC can be appealed after the bout.

Individuals whose use of props in a poem appears to be more calculated

and the result of a specific intent to enhance, illustrate, underscore, or

otherwise augment the words of the poem will be given a retroactive

score for the poem equal to two points less than the lowest scoring

poem in that bout. This deduction, which can only be applied after a

formal protest has been lodged against the offending poet, will not be

made by the MC, but by the Protest Committee.

4) No musical instruments or pre-recorded music, a poem which

violates this rule will be assessed a score of zero.

5) No costumes. (Do not put on or take off clothing during bout)The Protest Committee may apply a two-point deduction for violation of the costume rule. For example don't wear a superman shirt and do a poem about superman. Don't wear a witch hat and do a poem about witches. So do not wear clothing that highlights or underscores your poem content. Wear your normal street clothes