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

Say What Slamtober Poetry Competition at Coffee Underground

 

 REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

GREENVILLE, SC: Sunday 10/22/23, Say What?! Poetry Slam will be at Coffee Underground! Don't miss the opportunity to witness 10 slam poets in the Slamtober Poetry event. Host Southern Stylez. First place prize is $100.

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

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

Poet Name

 

HOST: Southern Stylez; 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. ShAy Black

2.  Azar King

3. Your Favorite Murse

4.   Jenice Pleasant 

5.  MarleyQuinn 

6.  Black Phoenix 

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 $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

Workshop with Asia Samson 09/17

Join us on September 17th, Sunday at Coffee Underground at 5:30 for workshop with Asia Samson on poetry.

Registered:

1. Black Phoenix
2. Your Favorite Murse
3. Jenice Pleasant
4. Shay Black
5. Azar King
6. MarleyQuinn
7. Dove Dupree
8. Ashlee Goforth
9. Southern Stylz
10. Kimberly Simms
11. Jay Figuerz
12. Mosley Oaktree
13. Mariah Banks

Open Mic FAQ

Poetry Open Mic Held Every Sunday at Coffee Underground. Coffee Underground. 1 East Coffee Street. Greenville, SC 29601. Doors open at 7:00 pm. $10.

Poetry Slam Dates: 10/22, 11/19, 12/17.

Open mic will be limited to 10 slots on feature nights and 5 slots on slam nights.

Can I read my poem from the page? Yes

We welcome both poems read from the page and performance poetry on all subjects.

What is the  Time Limit? 4 minutes

Time limit is maximum 4-minutes per poet including banter:
- Optionally share the title of your poem and a one-sentence intro. (This poem is called XYZ and I was inspired by XYZ).
- After you read your poem, optionally share your Instagram or website or book title.
- No literary analysis.

Can you play a track for me? Yes

Please see DJ Southern Stylz to have your track played behind your poem or rap.

What about singer/songwriters? Yes

Yes, you may sing a song in the open mic but the four-minute time limit still applies. You may also play acoustic guitar. Please note there is no setup time or mic checks.

Can I make a speech or announcements? No

All announcements must be given to the host in writing before the show for consideration. After you read your poem, optionally share your Instagram or website or book title. But no event announcements or other community plugs. No speeches. 

Is Distributing Materials Allowed? No

You may leave materials on a table in the gallery for the audience to pick up, but you may not hand out fliers, cards, or other papers.

Can I make a speech or tell a story? No

No religious or political speeches. No literary analysis of your poem. If you wish to meet our constituents or make election announcements please contact Kimberly at witsendpoetrysc@gmail.com at least 24 hours in advance for consideration.

Can I do a comedy set? No.

This is a poetry open mic. There is a comedy open mic on Monday nights at Coffee Underground.

What type of language or erotic poetry is allowed? PG13

While this is a free speech zone, please recognize this is 7:30 on Sunday night not "late night in the club". Please keep it classy and PG13. Young adults do attend our events. No graphic violence or erotica.

How can I interact with the show? Clap or snap after each poem.

This is a supportive environment and an opportunity to listen to other diverse voices. No heckling. No announcements from the audience. Please take phone calls and have conversations outside in the gallery.