The Cultural Politics of Slam Poetry: Race, Identity, and the Performance of Popular Verse in America

Appendix

APPENDIX 141 DOCUMENT 1 The Official Rules of National Poetry Slam Competition The Rules of the Slam (At least, those we can agree on) PSI gratefully acknowledges our “Guru of the Gray Area,” Taylor Mali, the primary author of (and some say, impetus for) these rules, as well as the SlamMasters’ Council who developed and adopted them. “I have to submit to much in order to pacify the touchy tribe of poets.” —Horace, 14 B.C. These rules have been revised and tweaked at every SlamMasters’ meeting since the ‹rst Chicago National Poetry Slam in 1991. Some debates have been ongoing for more than a decade. Loopholes have continually been closed, and many gray areas have been made either black or white. In the process, new loopholes and gray areas were probably created. But the rulebook was never intended to put an end to the healthy controversy that has always been an integral part of the slam. It will always be an attempt to agree on the wording (if not the spirit) of the rules of the National Poetry Slam as well as the consequences and penalties for breaking those rules. All we can hope for is to make the playing ‹eld as level as our trust in one another will allow. These rules, along with the NPS Code of Honour, constitute a body of standards by which we agree to engage each other in this wacky thing we call Poetry Slam. I. POEMS & PERFORMANCE 1) Poems can be on any subject and in any style. 2) Each poet must perform work that s/he has created. 3) No props. From The Of‹cial 2007 Poetry Slam Rulebook Generally, poets are allowed to use their given environment and the accoutrements it offers—microphones, mic stands, the stage itself, chairs on stage, a table or bar top, the aisle—as long as these accoutrements are available to other competitors as well. The rule concerning props is not intended to squelch the spontaneity, unpredictability, or on-the-›y choreography that people love about the slam; its intent is to keep the focus on the words rather than objects. Refer to Section V (De‹nitions) for further clari‹cation on what is and is not a prop. Teams or individuals who inadvertently use a prop (for example, a timely yet unwitting grab at a necklace) can be immediately penalized two points if the emcee of the bout deems the effect of the violation to have been appreciable , but suf‹ciently lacking in speci‹c intent. A formal protest need not be lodged before the emcee can penalize a poet or team in this way; however, the decision of the emcee can be appealed after the bout. Teams or individuals whose use of props in a poem appears to be more calculating and the result of a speci‹c 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 team, will not be made by the emcee, but by a special committee assembled for this purpose. 4) No musical instruments or pre-recorded music. 5) No costumes. The protest committee may apply a two point deduction for violation of the costume rule. Sampling It is acceptable for a poet to incorporate, imitate, or otherwise “signify on” the words, lyrics, or tune of someone else (commonly called “sampling ”) in his own work. If he is only rif‹ng off another’s words, he should expect only healthy controversy; if on the other hand, he is ripping off their words, he should expect scornful contumely. The No Repeat Rule A poem may be only used once during the entire tournament. The Three-Minute Rule No performance should last longer than three minutes. The time begins when the performance begins, which may well be before the ‹rst utter142 / THE CULTURAL POLITICS OF SLAM POETRY ance is made. A poet is certainly allowed several full seconds to adjust the microphone and get settled & ready, 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...