Slam poetry

Slam poetry is a form of performance poetry that occurs within a competitive poetry event, called a "slam", at which poets perform their own poems (or, in rare cases, those of others) in as nuanced a performance as the performer can muster and as the material can bear - with an eye to the audience who vote on such things.

Critics of of Slam poetry say that the quality of the performer often wins the day irrespective of the quality of the poetry. Its defenders say that this is like saying a poem printed in the finest type on the most exquisite paper will win the Pulitzer Prize for poetry.

In the view of its exponents, the point of Slam is to challenge the authority of anyone who pretends to know absolutly what quality is. Additionally, it seems that the poets that embrace Slam poetry wish to give audience members the power to become part of each poem's presence, thus breaking down the barriers between poet/performer, critic and audience.

More details on Slam poetry can be found at http://www.poetryslam.com