Say What Grand Slam

December 8th, 2024. Say What!? Greenville Grand Slam to determine the 2025 Say What Greenville Slam Team sponsored by WITS END POETRY. All poets have pre-qualified by participating in previous poetry slams to earn points. Host Kimberly J Simms.

FEATURING COMPETING POETS: 

  1. Black Phoenix 
  2. Shay Black 
  3. Azar King 
  4. Your Favorite Murse 
  5. Marleyquinn
  6. Southern Stylz

A poetry slam is a performance poetry competition judged by five randomly chosen members of the audience. Slam Format: All poets compete in round one and two. Top two poets with highest cumulative score will advance to the final round. Winning poet will be the strategy coach for the 2025 slam team.

Coffee Underground, 1 E Coffee St., Greenville, SC 29601. 7:30 pm. $10.

HOW DO POETS QUALIFY TO TRYOUT FOR THE SLAM TEAM:

1. Poets have residency in the Upstate of South Carolina. Upstate defined.

2. Poets must earn at least ten points between July and December. Ten poets with the most points (over 10) can participate in the Grand Slam. 

The following activities earn poets points:

  1. Hosting a Wits End Poetry event or slam
  2. Working a Wits End Poetry event or slam such as DJ'ing, Bout Managing, Front of House.
  3. Participating in a Wits End Poetry workshop.
  4. Compete in a WEP Poetry Slam
    Participate in Slam - 1 Point
    Third Place ins Slam - 2 Points
    Second Place in Slam - 3 Points
    Win Slam - 4 Points

Fresh Out The Oven Slam 2024

 


Registration is Open

On November 24, 2024 at 7:30, Wits End Poetry will host its annual Say What Fresh Out The Oven Slam at Coffee Underground in Greenville, SC at 1 East Coffee St! With Host Kimberly Simms! The first-place prize is $100. New poems only!!! (New poem defined as a poem that has never been used in a poetry slam or competitive event before).

Poets register below using PayPal or Cash app $10 to $witsendpoetry. Audience tickets are available via Eventbrite.

We are excited to welcome veteran and emerging poets. 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."

HOST: Black Phoenix

Bout Manager: 


REGISTERED POETS:
1.  ShAy Black
2.  Azar King 
3.  Dove
4.   Jenny
5.  Marleyquinn
7. Murse
8.  

  
Limited to 8 poets. No waitlist. Poets scroll to the bottom of this page to see all the rules.

REGISTER NOW! VIA CASHAPP ($WITSENDPOETRY) OR PAYPAL

Poet Name
 

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. 


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

Tournament rules: New Poems only!!! Poems may have been performed in an open mic previously but they may never have been used to compete in a poetry slam.

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 8 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. 8-5-3. 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. 

Say What?! Poetry Slam


  REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

GREENVILLE, SC: Sunday 11/19/23, Say What?! Poetry Slam will be at Coffee Underground! Don't miss the opportunity to witness 10 slam poets in the November Poetry Slam. Host Black Phoenix. First place prize is $200.

Coffee Underground, 1 E. Coffee St., Greenville, SC 29601. 7:30pm. $10.

Local Poets in Greenville County register below using PayPal or Cash app $10 to $witsendpoetry.
Audience tickets are available via Eventbrite. Coffee Underground Theater.


Poet Name
 

HOST: Black Phoenix; Bout Manager:  

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.  Azar King
2.  Your Favorite Murse
3.  Jenice Pleasant
4.  Dove Dupree
5.  Sahn the Poet
6.   Shay Black
7.  Marleyquinn
8.  Southern Stylz
9. Kimberly Simms
10. Moody Black


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 TO UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA POETS. 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 FULL BAR AVAILABLE TILL 9. 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 event 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