Sure, it was a poetry reading. But don’t imagine quiet, tasteful coffeehouse gatherings populated by berets and tweed, or nodding off with a classmate’s perplexing prose in first-period English — think stomps, snaps, and shouts. Think lively banter, sharp choreography, and most importantly, really good poetry – the kind that strikes a chord, crystalizes […]

From goth culture to police brutality, spousal abuse, anxiety and saving the planet by falling in love, WU-SLam poets immortalized experiences and circumstance in spoken word this past Friday; the lighthearted and the severe, the mundane and the momentous. This event was the first scored slam of the year put on by WU-SLam.

Washington University’s spoken word poetry group WU-SLam hosted their annual Spring Slam, an event in which seven members from their performance crew performed original poems, February 8 in Graham Chapel. This three-round slam was competitive: Two poets were eliminated after the second round, and the remaining five poets competed in the final round for first, second and third place.

Sharing stories of angry security guards and cracking jokes about ex-girlfriends, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Mary Lambert hosted WU-SLam’s Grand Slam on Friday in a Graham Chapel filled to capacity. Lambert, a former slam-poet herself, performed several of her songs in conjunction with her own poetry before the start of the competition.

After many long weeks of writing and practicing, 10 performers will take to the stage this Friday in the largest and most competitive poetry slam on campus: The Grand Slam.

If you haven’t heard slam poet Franny Choi’s rendition of Lil Wayne’s “Pussy Monster,” you clearly haven’t been hanging around the members of WU-SLam, Wash. U.’s own slam poetry club. […]

Imagine a crowd of people gathered before you, their faces turned in interest as they wait for what you have to say. Anything you desire to communicate can be put […]