I went to my first poetry slam last night and they made me a judge. What is wrong with this picture? Other than the fact that I may have permanently scared a few young people for life with a low score, I think I was a good judge. I tried to be consistent and go with what moved me and the audience. Having no experience with poetry what so ever, what else could I do? But it was all good fun, and I am actively praying for the souls I have destroyed.
I went to my first poetry slam last night and here are a few tips I would like to share, that will be helpful to you if you ever decide to do the same. There is a learning curve and I am going to help you through it. Wish someone had done the same for me.
- Click your fingers when you like something you hear. At first I thought people were being extremely rude, but turns out it's a good thing. It's like an instant, quiet applause so you can still hear the poetry. Or at least I think that's what was going on. No one ever really explained it to me.
- Anyone can read their poetry. And in my opinion, everyone should. It's a friendly, supportive atmosphere designed to encourage people to be brave, get up there, and bare their souls. Besides, the judges don't know what the hell they are doing and can be ignored completely. I know this for a fact.
- There is a time limit. They take this very seriously. I get it. It helps the evening flow and gives everyone time to read. And in the spirit of being supportive, they have a fun, distinctive way of reminding folks - don't go over the three minute time limit. Here's what you do. After the person has read their poem, the time keeper states if they have gone over the three minutes. If they have, everyone in the room shouts at the top of their lungs (and I'm not exaggerating here), "You dirty rat bastard, you are ruining it for everyone!" It's hysterical and disturbing all at the same time. Hardly anyone goes over time.
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