~~~~~~~~~~~
(1) NEWS & TIBITS
~~~~~~~~

—TEAM SEMI’S & FINALS: Berkeley FINALS this
Weds. Details: (2). Oakland has posted who will be
in their Semis (9), as has SF (7), & San Jose.
Speaking of SJ, they will be holding a “Last Chance
Slam tonight (TUES)… this is a popular event in
other states but rarely attempted in the Bay.
Winner gets an automatic slot in their Finals!
San Jose FINALS are Friday! Details: (2).

—BATTLE OF THE BAY! After all the Team Finals,
we hold the famous Battle Of The Bay. Each slam
venue hosts one of a series of team competitions
to help the poets and coaches hone their skills.
BoBs are held in June and July. Details: (11).

—BIG SUR! where SoCal faces NorCal. Everyone
camps on the beach and parties overnight! Some-
times, teams from as far away as Canada and New
Mexico drop in! Details: (14).

—WANNA BLUE RIBBON for poetry? BBQ, funnel
cake, fireworks and $450 in cash prizes?! Only
at the annual Marin Fair slam. Register now!
Details: (12).

—INTERNET HUMOR: http://www.xkcd.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(2) SAN JOSE –Next Slam: TUES, May 8.
FINALS: May 11. Kat Dietrich checks in:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—-Lords and Ladies, this Tuesday is going to be
SO exciting! It is our “Last Chance Slam,” which
means that the winner of the slam will automatic-
ally earn themselves a spot in our finals. It will
be a viciously beautiful competition.
—-We will also be featuring the UC Santa Cruz
team, which consists of Andrew Lowe, Natalie
Ashodian, and Christine Hatch. Andrew Lowe has
spent most of his life on the inside of classrooms.
He was also a member of the Team Berkeley ‘04
placing 4th in the nation. Coach and member of the
team, Natalie Ashodian, has been a performance poet
since birth. Christine is the little odd duck of
the poetry world. she’s been on the San Jose 2006
team as well as the UC Santa Cruz 2007 team bringing
stories taken from life experience, as much as she
could muster in her 22 years. You do not want to
miss this feature.
—-Also, don’t forget, this Friday, May 11th at
8:30pm, San Jose is hosting its 9th annual poetry
slam finals at the Brittania Arms in downtown San
Jose. This blockbuster bout will feature 10 of San
Jose’s top poets battling for the right to
represent the San Jose Poetry Slam at this year’s
National Poetry Slam held in Austin, Texas. This
amazing show will be hosted by National and
Individual World Poetry Slam champion, Mike McGee.
Former SJ slam champ, coach, and member of the
2006 San Jose Slam Team, Anthony R. Miller, will
be featuring, and the evening’s smooth beats will
be provided by Digital Lee. Come and support these
artists and their art!
—-As always, we will have poets, poetry, and
beer! We look forward to seeing you again.
~Kat Dietrich
—-TOP 10 STANDINGS (so far): Bundy, Tristisima,
G. Wilikers, Kat, Drew, Bill Peckham, Andrew Love,
D. Silence, Verse, Kyle Houston.
—- The Britannia Arms. 173 W. Santa Clara,
Downtown San Jose. 6 bucks 18+ 8pm.
Slam: 2nd TUES, Open Mic: 4th TUES.
Hosted By: Kyle Houston
Music By: rebelskamp
http://www.sanjosepoetryslam.com
Info: kat0ninetales @ aol . com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(3) SACRAMENTO –Next Slam: TUES, May 8.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—The venue will take place every week, with a
slam TWICE a month! Features & cash prizes…
—Hosted by Khiry Malik, Ifa Modupe, & Patrice
Hill…
—-Vlade Divac’s Tunel 21. 926 2nd St.
Poetry every week, Slams 2nd & 4th TUES.
Ages 21+. Cash prizes. $5.00 cover.
Hosts: Khiry, Ifa, & Patrice.
Info: nubiansoul @ yahoo . com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(4)BERZERKELEY POETRY SLAM — *FINALS* this Weds.
Chaz checks in:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—-THIS WEEK: *F*I*N*A*L*S* ! The Top 8 poets
battle for a spot on the Team! Live Jazz, Hot
Pizza, and Irish Beer! Team Fundraiser! $12 Door
goes to YOUR team!
—-After 7 months, 100’s of poets, 1000’s in
prizes, it all comes down to tonight: the top 8
poets battle in 3 rounds of metaphorical mayhem
for a spot on Team Berkeley. As if that weren’t
enough, they will face our Indi Champ, who quail-
fied in December. The top 5 poets win a free
trip to Nationals. Who will be our new grand
champ & win *gasp* THE COVETED GOLDEN MACARONI
BELT?!? YOU decide!!! The top 5 in Finals win a
trip to Nationals.
—–Here’s a quick summary of the poets, but
don’t be fooled if you think some have it in the
bag. As we learned in Semi’s, ANYTHING CAN
HAPPEN! For example, an international superstar
was disqualified on a technicality the first Semi-
finals, THEN a newbie won her first slam EVER at
the second Semi’s. Here they are in alphabetical
order:
—-Stephen Bor is a 3-time collegiate slam
champion with anthemic work that uses personal
experiences to speak about social issues. He can
be tender or explosive on the mic, often in rapid
succession.
—-Jamie De Wolf won his spot in our Finals last
Dec at the Indi Slam. He’s a perennial NorCal
slam champ, host of Tourettes w/out Regrets,
finished 5th at Nationals and 4th in the world at
IWPS. He specializes in raw power, no-holds-
barred humor, and vivid descriptions of life’s
underbelly.
—-Christian Drake was on last year’s team and
goes into Finals as our top-ranked poet. His work
is as well-written as it is performative, ranging
from political to humorous, smooth as his own
coiffed hair.
—-D.Silence is a bare-knuckle satirist who
delivers his humor with fire-and-brimstone fury.
Veteran of last year’s team, former San Francisco
Slammaster, he’s also a collegiate Forensics champ.
—-Isaac Miller is this year’s YouthSpeaks Grand
Slam Champion, member of the UC Berkeley team, and
despite winning slams for the last 6 years has
never been on an “Adult” Nationals team. His
political anthems dissect issues with a surgeon’s
precision.
—-Sam Pierstorff is the Modesto slammaster, and
runs one of the Nation’s larges annual slam events,
the Ill List. A long-time slam scenester who has
never been on a team (by choice), his playful work
makes martial bliss seem like a romantic comedy.
—-Kat Sanford has been on several NorCal teams,
toured Nationally, and came out of semi-retirement
to go for this year’s team. She specializes in
confessional work that brings the darkness. Like
a sharpened dagger, her best lines are often
delivered in a whisper.
—-Laura S. has been around the slam scene for
years but only recently stepped up to compete,
winning her first slam EVER at last week’s Semi-
finals! Her work is wickedly sharp, as funny as
it is ruthless, personal as it is political.
—-Joshua Walters finds the absurd in the every-
day, magic in the mundane, and playful humor in
basic biological functions. In sharp contrast to
the heated delivery of most slam poets, he uses
dramatic pauses and deadpan delivery like a slap
to the knee.
—-LAST WEEK: in one of the most startling upsets in
Berkeley Slam history, a newbie won her first slam
at our biggest Semifinals EVER! Humor trumped
tragedy, Audience members booed & walked out on one
sacrificial, a tiny time penalty meant the world to
one poet, and Score Creep smashed several poets’
hopes early on. For a full blow-by blow of last
week’s slam, visit my livejournal at:
http://chazellik.livejournal.com
—-UPCOMING: MAY 16: Open Slam; Christian Drake
emcees, Amy Steinberg features. MAY 23: Open Slam;
Def Poet Geoff Trenchard features. MAY 30:
Hollywoods’ Tshaka Campbell. JUNE 6: Open Slam;
D.Silence co-hosts, featuring Vancouver’s CR Avery
& Sacramento’s Rodzilla. June 13: Battle Of The
Bay.
——STARRY PLOUGH. 3101 Shattuck. 510-841-2082.
(1 block uphill of Ashby BART). EVERY WEDS.
8:30-11pm. Sign-ups: 7:30. All ages before 9pm.
Hosts: Charles Ellik, Betsy Roll & Friends.
Live Music: 3 Blind Mice, & DJ Agana.
http://www.myspace.com/berkeleypoetryslam
http://www.berkeleypoetryslam.com
Contact: voluptuary @ hotmail.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(5) MODESTO –Next Slam: WEDS, May 9.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
–PROSPECT Theater. 520 Scenic Drive. Directions:
(209) 549-9341. 2nd WED MONTHLY. 7:00pm. For Local
Info: (209) 575-6183. Sign up starts @ 6:45pm.
Regular Admission: $3.00. Poet’s Fee: $5.00
Cash Prizes: 1st & 2nd place. MC: Sam Pierstorff.
Info: http://www.slamonrye.com
Contact: pierstorffs @ mail. yosemite. cc.ca.us

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(6) MONTEREY –Every Wednesday.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
–EAST VILLAGE COFFEE LOUNGE. 498 Washington St.
(@Pearl St.) near Downtown Monterey.
Show: 8:00-10:00pm. $3 donation.
Open Mic & slam every Wednesday.
Host: Garland Thompson.
Booking: gtpoet @ gmail.com
The Rubber Chicken Poetry Slam & Open Mic
http://www.westcoastslam.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(7)SF/The City Slam & Experimental Mic.
—Next Slam: SUN, May 13.
Ekabhumi checks in:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—Incense, flowers, and scents of exotic food
cooking. Elders and youth communicating through
dance, poetry, and Hiphop. National champs, local
legends, and the hottest lyrical competition
on the West Coast in an elegant setting. This is
YOUR SF City Slam.
—We’re featuring Def Poet & Suicide King Geoff
Trenchard! With LA’s Dancer & Spoken Word Artist
Nicole Smith, and Oakland’s sultry Jazz Chanteuse,
Noñameko.
—FINALLY, we have debated, calculated, and agreed
on how we will qualify poets for the SF Finals this
year. We will use a system similar to Berkeley’s:
poets who finish in the top 5 at any given open
(including the slams held at Bistro Yoffi) get
points if they finished in the top 5. 1st-5points,
2nd-4points, 3rd-3points, 4th-2points, 5th-1point.
A poet needs a minimum of 5 points to qualify for
Finals. So far, that includes:
1) Lucky 7- 13 points
2) Mac Dennis- 11 points
3) Christian Drake- 9 points
3) Mark States- 9 points
3) L. Abdul Kenyatta- 9 points
6) D. Silence- 8 points
7) Cheryl F- 6 points
7) Josh Walters- 6 points
9) Dazier Grego- 5 points
9) Selene- 5 points
9) Ms. Ashley- 5 points
—We have TWO MORE qualifiers: May 13 and June 10.
Finals will be held the THIRD Sunday of June, at a
Venue TBA. Our feature will be none other than
Marc Bamuthi Joseph!
—-The City Slam & Experimental Open Mic.
Poleng Lounge. 1751 Fulton Ave @ Masonic.
2nd Sundays MONTHLY. 7:30 sign-up, 8:30 show.
ALL AGES. $7 Door. $150 Cash Prizes.
Hosts: Mona Webb & Charles Ekabhumi Ellik.
Grooves provided by: DJ Agana.
Info: thecityslam @ yahoo. com
http://www.polenglounge.com/
TRANSIT: Cars: Pay garage across the street
under Albertson’s. BART: from Civic Center,
exit toward 6th St, walk N. to McAllister,
take the 5 Fulton Bus. http://www.sfmta.com
CARPOOL: 3-5 fans, show us your ticket from the
garage, everybody gets $2 off admission.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(8) SANTA CRUZ –Next Slam: WEDS, May 16.
Harry Areola checks in:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—-Hello kind souls. Good afternoon life lovers.
How are the things that make you, you? You may be
saying to yourself, “Hey, it’s awful early to be
getting an e-mail about the SC Slam. Don’t they
usually just e-mail people the day before? What
gives?”
—-Well friends, we are trying out something
called proactive measures. Now, I know what your
thinking, “Isn’t that the facial cleaner Vanessa
Williams, hocks on late night T.V?” The answer is,
YES. And we here at SC Poetry Slam have some of
the smoothest faces thanks to Ms. Williams’ late
night miracle work. But, the whole proactive thing
is not limited to cleansing one’s pores. We are
also trying to spread the word about the Slam a
little early this time.
—-Flyers are going to be made today, and emails
shall flow steadily for the next two weeks. We
need to pick the pace up here, and get a little
bit of a frenzy at the next slam. I’m talking
copious people, all feakin’ out! Maybe even
sweating in delight from all the hot fire that
will be spit upon their faces.
—-So what can ya do: MARK YOUR CALENDARS! TELL
A FRIEND! SHOW UP ON TIME! “8 MEANS 8″! JUST LIKE,
“NO MEANS NO”! We also need help with flyering! So
if you have any interest in helping the cause,
please email me back, and hopefully we can arrange
a way to get you some flyers. Awhile ago we had a
little crew of freaks named the Diabolical Minions.
My hope is to spawn a second generation of these
deviant bodies: better organized and even more
tenacious.
—-Attached is the graphic for the flyer. If you
feel like printing it out on your own accord, than
please do so. Put it up in your office bathroom,
maybe in your kitchen, at your grandmother’s bridge
night, etc.
—–Thanks for the continued support and we shall
be talking soon.
—-Ok, sweetheart, take care their with all that
stuff, Harry Areola, et. al
—-The E3 Playhouse. 435 Front St.
Santa Cruz, Ca, 95060. 3rd WEDS MONTHLY.
8:00-10:30pm. Sign ups: 7:30. Host: Shimmy
12 poets, 2 rounds. Cash Prizes!
All Ages welcome, $2 pints for 21+
Cash prizes for top 3 poets, $4 door
Hosts: Mr Free & Friends
Contact: sccityslam@gmail.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(9) OAK/ BrOakland –THURS May 24th SEMI-FINALS!!
Dahled checks in:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—-We’re all set for a phenomenal show y’all!! You
should definitely NOT miss this. You just don’t know
if you’re gonna ever get another chance to see this
kind of fireworks again!
—-In the line up for semis we have multiple former
slam team members - several who’ve been on Finals
stage, collegiate nationals champs, youth nationals
champs, untested upstarts, wily vets, beatboxers,
comedians and a level of talent that you’ll rarely
get to see share a stage.
—-The semi-finalists are (in no particular order):
Jose Vadi, Lucky 7, Dahled,
Queen D, Clarity, Josh Walters, Cheryl F, D. Silence,
Miss Ashleigh, Mack Dennis, L. Abdul Kenyatta, Isaac
Miller, Sweet’n Shameless, Mona Webb*, N’er City,
and Aaron Gardner.
—-Upcoming shows:
—FINALS- Saturday June 9th @ The Uptown Nightclub
(1928 Telegraph Ave. - 21+)
—Battle of The Bay (B.o.B.)- Thurs. June 28th @
The Oakland Metro (201 Broadway @ 2nd)
— OAKLAND METRO 201 Broadway @ 2nd, Jack London
Square. Hosted by Nazelah, Dahled & DJ Agana!
Sign-ups - 8:00 / Show - 8:15
Slam @8:30. 1st FRIDAYS MONTHLY.
Cash Prizes!!! & Full Bar w/ ID
$7 General Admission
ALL AGES! $50 in cash prizes.
More info: djefreez @ yahoo.com
http://www.myspace.com/oaklandslam

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(10) OAK/Tourettes –Next Slam: THURS, June 7.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—–OAKLAND METRO 201 Broadway @ 2nd, Jack London
Square. Hosted by Jamie DeWolf & Geoff Trenchard.
& DJ F*CK OFF! ALL AGES. Full Bar. Sign up 8pm.
Show 8:30pm. $8. Onstage Freakin’ by QUEEN
BLANKETY BLANK. Meat & Mayhem by MISS SUCCUBUS.
1st THURS Monthly.
Info: tongueartillery @ hotmail.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(11)BATTLE OF THE BAY —June & July.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—The BoB is a series of team battles to help the
poets hone their skills & test-drive multi-voice
poem performances. There’s nothing to win but
bragging rights, as each certified venue uses their
show as a fund-raiser & the home team always has
a huge advantage. For slam fans, it’s the best
possible place to see all the hottest new poets in
one location, & a lot of fun to follow your
favorite team’s exploits. BoBs are held in June
& July.
–Berkeley –WEDS, June 13.
–BrOakland –THURS. June 28th.
–Modesto
–Sacramento
–San Jose
–Santa Cruz
–San Francisco –SUN, July 8.
–Tourettes -THURS, July 5.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(12)Marin Fair Slam –TUES, July 3.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—MARIN FAIR will host their 4th annual Poetry
Slam on July 3rd. $450 in prizes! Where else can
you eat BBQ, cotton candy, swill cheap beer, listen
to the greatest bands of yesteryear, & act like a
redneck superstar while reading poetry? NOWHERE
ELSE! Fun starts at 5pm with a slam for Youth.
Then the grown-ups battle. At 9pm, things end with
FIREWORKS!!
–This year’s features include Youth Speaks champ
Isaac Miller, legendary beatboxer and playwright
Tim Barskey, and members of the Berkeley Slam Team
2007!
—This really is a good time & a cheap date,
a bizarre mix of high & lowbrow! You MUST register
in advance to slam! But you also get two free
tickets and a parking pass when you do. To
register, go to: http://www.marinfair.org
…or pick up entry forms at the Berkeley Slam.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(13)BRAVE NEW VOICES -July 17-21.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—Youth Speaks and MACLA are pleased to announce
that the Brave New Voices International Youth
Poetry Slam Festival is coming to San Jose July
17-21. Featuring over 450 poets from more than 44
parts of the country, there is no other event like
this one. Coming off last year’s sold out finals at
the Apollo Theater in NYC, Brave New Voices sets
the standard for youth spoken word programs
nationwide.
http://www.youthspeaks.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(14)WESTERN REGIONALS/Big Sur -SAT & SUN, July 21-22.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—On a tiny meadow under massive redwoods, in the
heart of Big Sur, the West Coast’s top poets battle
for over $2000 in prizes and serious respect. Do
the trees lean in to listen? Do the butterflies
circle their favorite poets? To the hawks wheeling
overhead wait for dramatic pauses to electrify the
crowd with a piercing cry? They do!
—This event was once NorCal’s stomping grounds,
but in recent years it’s been SoCal’s fund-raiser.
It’s academic to most of the poets and fans, who
show up for the sunshine, the gourmet food, the
ridiculous party and tent escapades on Saturday
night. Bring sunblock, a bathing suit, AND a down
jacket, as temperature changes are extreme.
—Henry Miller Library. 3 hour drive S of San
Francisco. From LA, going north, the total drive
time is about 6 1/2 hours. A 1/4 mile S of Nepenthe
Restaurant, a 1/4 mile N of Deetjen’s, Big Sur Inn.
12-6pm both days. All Ages.
We usually camp at Andrew Molera State Park, which
has tent-only sites available on a 1st-come, 1st-
served basis, so arrive early!
http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=582
http://www.westcoastslam.com
http://www.henrymiller.org
More info: gtpoet @gmail.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(15)NATIONAL POETRY SLAM –Aug 8-12.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—The is the Big Daddy of poetry slams, where 75
teams of poets from all over the world perform their
hearts out, party their guts out, and shag their
brains out. But seriously, it’s not ALL nekkid pool
jumps and late-night erotic readings. That’s just
the glamorous part. There are also many meetings,
politickings, talent-scoutings, and open mic-ings
as well. Three of the most storied and popular
side-events at Nationals include Head-To-Head Haiku,
The Slammaster Slam, and the Nerd Slam. Not to
mention the competition itself and the thousands of
people listening to incredible poetry (oh, yeah!
poetry!) in sold-out venues. If you have even a
passing interest in Spoken Word, this is a meta-
phorical amusement park!
http://www.nps2007.com
http://www.austinslam.com
NOTE: the host hotel for this year is the Hyatt
Regency downtown. Mention that you’re part of
the National Slam and get half off!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(16) UC Berkeley/Cal Slam -ON HIATUS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—Slams will re-start Fall 07.
—Info: calpoetryslam @ yahoo.com
www.myspace.com/calpoetryslam

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(17)INDI WORLD POETRY SLAM –October, 2009
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—iWPS 2009: There is a bid in the works to bring
this incredible event to Berkeley in 2009! 72
poets representing slam venues from around the
world converge for three days of competition,
electrifying audiences with their talents.
—Berkeley plans to add many related day events
and side competitions to the main tournament,
transforming it into a 10-day festival. We plan on
hosting the competition itself at venues near the
Ashby BART station in South Berkeley, home of the
Berkeley Slam and our venue, the Starry Plough. We
are partnering with Epic Arts & Poetry Flash.
–Epic Arts is a Performance Arts non-profit based
in South Berkeley. Their new facility will be the
epicenter of IWPS 2009.
http://www.epicarts.org
–Poetry Flash is a calendar and poetry journal
listing events across the state, with a circulation
of 22K. The Flash will include our program in their
journal, and curate a series of readings during the
festival.
http://www.poetryflash.org
—Our proposed host hotel is Hotel Shattuck Plaza.
http://www.hotelshattuckplaza.com
—Further support has been offered by all the slam
venues in NorCal, as well as by James Kass (of
Youth Speaks) and many others.
—If you’re interested in helping, sponsoring, or
just want to be a fly on the wall, please join:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/iWPS_2009_NorCal

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(18)CHAZ ALSO RECOMMENDS: In Spite Of Everything.
SAT, May 12.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—-”IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING”
Sat MAY 12 ONE NIGHT ONLY!
—-WATCH THE IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING PREVIEW:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULhsamRohEw
—-Virginia Tech. Columbine. East Oakland. Hunters
Point. What makes kids kill kids? “In Spite of
Everything” is the latest entry into the emerging
genre of hip-hop theater, featuring the Bay Area’s
most dynamic spoken word collective, “The Suicide
Kings” under the direction of GOLDIE award winning
Bay Area legend Marc Bamuthi Joseph. The play
theatrically documents the Kings’ unlikely escap
from the precipice of their lives, to the center
of the public school system in Northern California.
The piece has already been presented as a work in
progress during the Hip Hop Theater Festival at La
Pena Cultural Center and will be further presented
in excerpt as part of the Hybrid Project at
Intersection for the Arts. They have received
significant funding from the Zellerbach Family
Foundation and a Creation Fund Commission from the
National Performance Network.
—-Electrifying stages from HBO’s Def Poetry Jam
to San Quentin Penitentiary, the Kings’ underdog
aesthetic has always built empathy and compassion
for the forgotten elements of society. The story
begins the day after a school shooting in an un-
named American town. As police and school
administrators ask themselves the perennial
question “What went wrong?” , they discover a note
that implies that three poetry teachers in the
school might have the answer. The ensuing inquiry
incites several compelling questions: How does a
former born again Christian who spent his youth in
and out of metal hospitals, a tattooed Jew who used
to run with skinheads and an immigrant ex-Crip punk
rocker end up TEACHING POETRY in PUBLIC HIGH
SCHOOLS? What does their journey say about education
in the U.S., shifting male identities and archetypes,
the systemic factors that contribute to the deluge
of high school violence, and most importantly,
survival through art?
—The play is 90 minutes with a live score played
by SAM BASS from LOOPSTATION and is a graphic and
gripping exploration of the subject and for ONE
NIGHT ONLY!.
—-IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING:
A School Shooting Murder Mystery
Saturday May 12th * ALL AGES * $10 *
The Oakland Metro * 201 Broadway @ 2nd St.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BONUS HAIKU/SENRIYU
–By Yours Truly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chattering from High:
King Squirrel allows no one
to play with his nuts.

~~~~~~~~~~
–See Ya At Tha Slam!
Charles Ellik, ed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
–NORCAL SLAM UPDATE is my online fanzine of the
NorCal slam scene, posted every Tues. It’s highly
subjective & reviews are limited to where Chaz
can visit. No ads or paid endorsements accepted.
Non-slam events included as sanity & space permits.
Beware! Slams are not for faint of heart! The
UPDATE, its editor & contributors & host sites
are not responsible for what happens if you attend
any of the shows listed.
–Weekly Circulation: approx. 3,700 world-wide.
–All local reports are edited for length.
–Slams nationwide: http://www.poetryslam.com
–A listserve to chat about slams in NorCal:
norcalslams-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
–To join the oldest international slam listserve:
email: poetry_slam-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
–For info on many non-slam poetry events in CA
(NorCal) http://www.poetryflash.org/
(SoCal) http://www.poetix.net
—Photo’s of slams: http://www.poeticdream.com
—An ‘incomplete history’ of slam’s early days:
http://www.e-poets.net/library/slam/
—Your Editor’s Site:
http://people.tribe.net/charles

~~~~~~~~~~~
(1) NEWS & TIBITS
~~~~~~~~

—THIS WEEK IS HUGE! With the biggest slam event
ANYwere EVER, a Bay Area regionals, the rebirth of
the storied SF Slam, and TONS of touring poets. It
would be ridiculous if you love poetry and don’t
go to a slam this week!!!

—YOUTHSPEAKS has booked one of the largest venues
in SF, the 3,500 seat Masonic Auditorium, for their
team Finals. Yes, this will be the biggest audience
ever assembled for a poetry slam, anywhere. Check
out this or their Semi’s for an action-packed event!
I’ll be there! Details:(16).

—SF SLAM is reborn THIS SUNDAY in a hot new venue,
offering an “Experimental Open Mic”, $150 in cash
prizes, AND they’re sending a team to Nationals!
The first show Features hard-hitting Xero Skidmore
of Baton Rouge and hilarious Thadra Sheridan.
—Folks, aside from all my usual HYPE, I really
gotta say I’m excited and nervous about this show.
Please join us and help re-build one of the most
beloved and storied slam teams in the world, one of
the original 3 teams EVER. It already feels like
the stars aligned, there have been so many amazing
happy coincidences and such support. The Bay Area
NEEDS a healthy SF Slam and many folks have been
working for us behind the scenes. But it can’t
happen without YOU! Details: (7).

–TOURING POETS: It’s a stampede! Award-winning
Canadian Poet Robert Priest will be in town this
week. Details: (2). Marc Marcel of Atlanta will
be making the rounds: (2,8). Billy Tuggle of
Chicago is featuring at San Jose (6,8). And Baton
Rouge’s champ, Xero Skidmore will make one stop,
at the newly reborn SF Slam. Details: (7).

—DIASPORA is defined as “A dispersion of a people
from their original homeland”. Next week, Berkeley
Slam will offer $350 in prizes to top poems on the
theme, and poems may be about ANY ethnicity or
culture. Winners feature at the finale of the Jewish
Music Fest. GET WRITING!
http://www.jewishmusicfestival.org

—iWPS 2009: There is a bid in the works to bring
this incredible event to the Bay Area in 2009. If
you’re interested in helping, or just want to be a
fly on the wall, please join:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/iWPS_2009_NorCal

–FUN SHORT FLICKS ONLINE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaBeaQHdrGo&NR
http://www.eatpes.com/sneaux.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(2) BERZERKELEY SLAM — Every Wednesday.
Chaz checks in:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—-THIS WEEK: Open Slam! Live Jazz, $150 in Cash
Prizes, Hot Pizza, and Irish Beer!
—-FEATURING: Atlanta’s Marc Marcel & Canada’s
Robert Priest!
–Marc is a Poet, Writer, Author, Producer and
Speaker. Raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Marcel
made his start in Atlanta in 99 and has since
shared his gifts across the country. Marcel has
just released his 5th Spoken Word CD and has
appeared on TV, Radio and in many journals. He
sees life, as nothing less than finding a passion
and being dedicated to it. He was a member of the
04 Pensacola, and 05 St. Louis SLAM teams.
http://www.marcmarcel.com/
–Robert Robert Priest definitely puts the ‘verse
in diversity’: Author of 14 books of poetry, he
won the Acorn People’s Poetry Award for his now
classic “Mad Hand”. In his alias as Dr. Poetry he
wrote and performed thirteen segments for CBC
radio’s spoken-word show Wordbeat. As a songwriter,
he co-wrote the number one hit, “Song Instead of a
Kiss,” for Alannah Myles. He teaches a lyric-
writing course at U.of T. His Aphorisms appeared
in The Farmer’s Almanac, and Colombo’s Canadian
Quotations. His play “Minibugs and Microchips”
received a $25K Chalmer’s Award. His novel,
“Knights of the Endless Day” got an ‘Our Choice’
Award from the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.
Both of his books of poems for children: “Daysongs
Nightsongs,” and “The Secret Invasion of Bananas”
are on the CBC’s recommended reading list. He has
been described as “Ontario’s most popular poet in
the schools” by Today’s Parent Magazine. He is
also a highly respected journalist for Toronto’s
weekly Now magazine.
http://www.poempainter.com/
—-LAST WEEK: We had a solid audience, strong
Open Slam, and an excellent Feature set. In the
Open Slam, Stephen & Christian kicked things off
with a new team piece that the judges HATED! Maybe
because they were being such goofs. It WAS
“Hawaiian Shirt Night” in celebration of Betsy’s
birthday, so things stayed pretty silly all night.
D.Silence raised the bar with “Karate Kid”, Sweet
N Shameless was just that, Laura SS’s ruminations
on the war earned her a spot in the second round,
while Russell Gonzaga’s “Fallen Catholics” earned
a fantastic score. Top Score went to Sara Lihz,
“Notes For My Sister”. Our judges were finicky,
and it should be noted that strong poets like
Dazier, Liz Green, Jason Bayani, Mark States, and
Mack Dennis were snoozed upon. Newcomer Josh M
won the Audience Choice award.
—-OUR FEATURE: Colin Gilbert is Dallas’ metro-
wide champion, and he delivered a spectacular set
as promised. A highly-animated performer, he delved
deeply into Family, politics, and social issues.
Our audience gave a warm response. Thanks, Colin!
—-ROUND 2: Sara nailed it to the WALL with “60th
& Benton” then sat back and watched everyone play
catch up. No such luck, and it was ironic she took
top score both rounds with such grim poems on such
a goofy night. D.Silence was right behind her,
though, with Laura rounding out the money.
—-UPCOMING: Mar 21: THEMED SLAM: “Diaspora” (A
dispersion of a people from their original home-
land). Prizes will be $200, $100, and $50!!!
Winners feature at the finale of the Jewish Music
Fest.
http://www.jewishmusicfestival.org
—-CHECK OUT our new “My Space” page, including
many dozens of photographs of poets!
http://www.myspace.com/berkeleypoetryslam
—-TOP 16 STANDINGS: Christian:28points, Jamie:13,
Isaac M:13, Lucky:13, Stephen M:12, Miss Ashleigh:10,
Joshua:8, Christine H:7, D.Silence:6, Stephen Bor: 5,
Dawn:4, Felipe:4, Julia:4, Andrew Lowe:4, Mack: 4,
Kat S:4, Cheese:3, Mark S: 3, Kim J:3, Lara SS: 3.
——STARRY PLOUGH. 3101 Shattuck. 510-841-2082.
(1 block uphill of Ashby BART). EVERY WEDS.
8:30-11pm. Sign-ups: 7:30. All ages before 9pm.
$150 Cash Prizes. $7 door, $5 students w/I.D.
Hosts: Charles Ellik, Betsy Roll & Friends.
Live Music: 3 Blind Mice, & DJ Agana.
http://www.berkeleypoetryslam.com
Contact: voluptuary @ hotmail.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(3) WordShop –Every WEDS.
Christian Drake checks in:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—Attendance is up, the conversation is lively.
But right now, WordShop needs two things:
1) DRINKERS! Seriously, folks, why do we bother
offering FREE BEER if it’s only the straight-edgers
showing up? Last week the non-drinkers outweighed
the drinkers so heavily we didn’t even get a pitcher,
and there was talk about getting a pitcher of root
beer instead. Not in my house! 2) POEMS! The
writing exercises have yielded some great results,
and we’ve had tons of fun dissecting spoken word
pieces, but lately there’s been a dearth of copies
of poems. I know you’re hoarding them somewhere! The
FREE PIZZA will feed our gullets, but only poems on
paper will stuff the hungry maw of our minds.
—Let’s recap: WordShop. Best minds in Bay Area
poetry and spoken word. Free pizza, free beer. Bring
a pad, a pen, a paradigm, and 6 to 12 copies of a
poem you want to workshop. See you there, poets.
——STARRY PLOUGH. 3101 Shattuck. 510-841-2082.
(1 block uphill of Ashby BART). EVERY WEDS. FREE!
6:30 PM. ALL AGES. Moderator: Christian Drake.
Contact: xndrake @ gmail dot com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(4) MONTEREY –WEDS, March 14.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
–EAST VILLAGE COFFEE LOUNGE. 498 Washington St.
(@Pearl St.) near Downtown Monterey.
Show: 8:00-10:00pm. $3 donation.
Open Mic & slam every Wednesday.
Host: Garland Thompson.
Booking: gtpoet @ gmail.com
The Rubber Chicken Poetry Slam & Open Mic
http://www.westcoastslam.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(5) MODESTO –Next Slam: WEDS, March 14.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
–PROSPECT Theater. 520 Scenic Drive. Directions:
(209) 549-9341. 2nd WED MONTHLY. 7:00pm. For Local
Info: (209) 575-6183. Sign up starts @ 6:45pm.
Regular Admission: $3.00. Poet’s Fee: $5.00
Cash Prizes: 1st & 2nd place. MC: Sam Pierstorff.
Info: http://www.slamonrye.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(6) OAK/ BrOakland –FRI, March 16.
Dahled checks in:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—- Each summer Slams from dozens of scenes repre-
senting cities as far-flung as Paris (that’s France!
not TX), Vancouver and every single state in the US
(yup, including Hawaii & Alaska) send teams to the
National Poetry Slam. This year there are more teams
(100+) than there are spaces available at Nationals
(75) so teams must compete with each other regionally
in “bouts” in order to see who gets to go to the big
show. These bouts are being held at Slams all across
the country but in The Bay the only one will be at
The brOakland Slam on March 16th. If you’ve ever
wondered what all the fuss was about with National’s
or want a taste of the fiercest competition around
then you NEED to get to this show!
—-Representing in the bout will be 2 teams from
The Town -brOakland & The Hot Water Slam, Berzerkeley
(Berkeley), San Francisco (Poleng Lounge), Sacramento
(Sweet Fingers) & San Jose (Britannia Arms). To
further stir the pot we will also be placing the
entrants of our open slam (limited to 6 this week)
into the mix as individual competitors. If you’re a
poet and think you can run with the big dogs then
here’s your chance to compete side by side with
some of the most talented folks in the area. Open
Slam competitors compete for cash prizes and the
chance to rep brOakland at this year’s Nationals in
Austin TX.
—All that to say it’s gonna be a DOPE! Show! And
we even have a feature for you too. Our featured
poet for the evening is Billy “Karma” Tuggle. Billy
is a B-Boy poet and vocalist born and raised in the
Chicagoland area. A HipHop cultural activist, he
co-founded Chicago crews STS (Storm Troopers) and 7
In a Cipher, as well as serving as a local organizer
for the Temple of HipHop.
—-If there’s one show you go to this year make
this show that one - you’ll thank yourself for it.
—The brOakland Poetry Slam (and open mic)
SPECIAL EVENT W/ SLAM TEAMS FROM ALL OVER THE BAY
—Café Axe, 1525 Webster St, Dwntown.
Limited Sign-ups - 7:45 / Show - 8:00
Slam @8:30. 1st & 3rd FRIDAYS
Food, Drink & Cash Prizes!!!
$5 General Admission
ALL AGES! $50 in cash prizes.
Hosted by Nazelah, Dahled & DJ Agana!
More info: djefreez @ yahoo.com
http://www.myspace.com/oaklandslam

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(7) SF/The City Slam & Experimental Mic.
–Next Slam: SUN, March 18.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—San Francisco Slam is back and in full effect.
WE ARE SENDING A TEAM TO NATIONALS !!! We LOVE the
new venue. Our first show will be on Sunday,
March 18th, and every Second Sunday thereafter.
—WHO: Mona Webb (former Baton Rouge Slaminatrix)
& Charles Ekabhumi Ellik (Berkeley Slammaster:
www.berkeleypoetryslam.com) host the event. Latin
grooves on the 1’s & 2’s provided by: DJ Agana.
—FEATURING: Minneapolis’ hilarious Thadra
Sheridan & Baton Rouge’s champion, Xero Skidmore.
http://www.xeroskidmore.com
—WHAT: A Spoken Word variety show built around a
competition. The audience chooses who wins the
$100, $30, and $20 Cash Prizes. Ultimately, 4
poets will be selected to represent San Francisco
at the National Poetry Slam in August 2007.
http://www.poetryslam.com
—WHERE: The Poleng Lounge. It’s a new spot in
the old Storyville, where the SF Slam was held in
‘03. Oh Boy oh Boi they’ve remodeled the place and
the spot is bangin. Its got a fresh vibe, very
urban, very cosmopolitan. The food is incredible
and better still, affordable. They have this fried
Calamari dish and famous Sweet Potato fries that
are just fabulous! There’s a very extensive list of
exotic teas to boot. Plus it is ALL AGES! And if
that isn’t enough, it was also named one of the Top
10 Restaurants in the Bay Area by the SF Chronicle.
http://www.polenglounge.com/
—WHEN: Sunday, March 18th, 2007. Sign Ups: 7:30,
Show: 8:30-11:30pm.
—WHY: To create a forum for creative expression
that embodies the power of the poetry slam
community and welcomes the authenticity and
brilliance of experimentation. We will blend
layers of music, dance, spoken word and all
artistic avenues of creative expression together to
create a rose bud of delight.
—HOW: The format of the show will be a mixture
of Experimental Artists and Slam Poets alternating
on stage. Slam Poets have a 3-minute time limit,
Open Mic performers get 4 minutes. Those who sign
up to perform will indicate if they wish to be
judged or not. Only performers respecting the
slam rules may qualify for the prizes and slam
team.
—THE STORY: In 1989, San Francisco native Gary
Mex Glazner invented the National Poetry Slam,
inviting teams of poets from slam venues across
North America to participate. In ‘97, Gary handed
off the title of “San Francisco Slammaster” to
Charles Ellik. In ‘99, SF won the National Poetry
Slam. Marc Bamuthi Joseph took over the SF Slam,
and the legendary Second Sundays was born, the
largest slam in the world.
—In 2003-06, Several different organizers then
ran the slam, and while the Slam Team did well at
Nationals, the slam itself foundered. In ‘06,
after many years of co-hosting the legendary Baton
Rouge slam, Mona Webb moved to the Bay Area to
study at New College. She met Charles, and they
agreed to combine their decades of experience to
revive the SF Slam.
—FOR YOU SLAM INSIDERS: The SF Slam is certified
through the old venue, so the rankings earned by
poets at Bistro Yoffi will count toward qualifying
for the team.
—The City Slam & Experimental Open Mic.
Poleng Lounge. 1751 Fulton Ave @ Masonic.
2nd Sundays MONTHLY. 7:30 sign-up, 8:30 show.
ALL AGES. $7 Door. $150 Cash Prizes.
Hosts: Mona Webb & Charles Ekabhumi Ellik.
Grooves provided by: DJ Agana.
Info: thecityslam @ yahoo. com
http://www.polenglounge.com/
TRANSIT: Cars: Pay garage across the street
under Albertson’s. BART: from Civic Center,
exit toward 6th St, walk N. to McAllister,
take the 5 Fulton Bus. http://www.sfmta.com
CARPOOL: 3-5 fans, show us your ticket from the
garage, everybody gets $2 off admission.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(8) SAN JOSE –Next Slam: Every TUES.
Kat Dietrich checks in:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—Upcoming features:
Billy Tuggle 03/13
Marc Marcel 03/20
—Ladies and gentlemen, last Tuesday was, well,
mind-blowing. Kyle Houston hosted our open mic, and
we had some amazing poets grace us with their words.
Although I listened to the poetry, I’ll admit that
my attention was sometimes unfaithful. Running a
slam can make you ADD. So my mind was running a
marathon…until our feature, Colin Gilbert, opened
his mouth. That man could keep my eyes and ears
transfixed for days. He has a way of speaking words
you’re pretty sure you dreamt long ago but forgot
before the thoughts could coalesce into awake.
Before he performed, I read his bio. I read all the
hoopla about him being big in Texas, but I must have
forgotten how big Texas really is because his words
are huge. He was sweet and sincere and witty and if
you weren’t there, you wish you were.
—As always, we will have poets, poetry, and beer!
We look forward to seeing you again.
—- The Britannia Arms. 173 W. Santa Clara,
Downtown San Jose. 6 bucks 18+ 8pm
Hosted By: Kyle Houston
Music By: rebelskamp
http://www.sanjosepoetryslam.com
Info: kat0ninetales @ aol . com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(9) SACRAMENTO –Next Slam: TUES, Mar 20.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—The venue will take place every week, with a
slam TWICE a month! Features and cash prizes…
—Hosted by Khiry Malik, Ifa Modupe, and Patrice
Hill…
—-Vlade Divac’s Tunel 21. 926 2nd St.
Poetry every week, Slams 2nd & 4th TUES.
Ages 21+. Cash prizes. $5.00 cover.
Hosts: Khiry, Ifa, and Patrice.
Info: nubiansoul @ yahoo . com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(10) SANTA CRUZ –Next Slam: WEDS, Mar 21.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—-The E3 Playhouse. 435 Front St.
Santa Cruz, Ca, 95060. 3rd WEDS MONTHLY.
8:00-10:30pm. Sign ups: 7:30. Host: Shimmy
12 poets, 2 rounds. Cash Prizes!
All Ages welcome, $2 pints for 21+
Cash prizes for top 3 poets, $4 door
Hosts: Mr Free & Friends
Contact: sccityslam@gmail.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(11) PALO ALTO —SUN, March 25.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—our website is kinda in limbo stages right now
and it not very reliable but any questions about
this or upcoming shows can be directed to
payadas@paloaltoslam.com
—ART 21. 539 Alma St. Doors: 7:30. Show: 8pm.
$5/$3 students w/I.D. All Ages. LAST SUN MONTHLY.
payadas@paloaltoslam.com
http://www.paloaltoslam.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(12) OAK/Tourettes –Next Slam: THURS, April 5.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—–OAKLAND METRO 201 Broadway @ 2nd, Jack London
Square. Hosted by Jamie DeWolf & Geoff Trenchard
& DJ F*CK OFF! * ALL AGES *Full Bar* Sign up 8pm
* Show 8:30pm * $8 * Onstage Freakin’ by QUEEN
BLANKETY BLANK * Meat and Mayhem by MISS SUCCUBUS
Info: tongueartillery @ hotmail.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(13) CHICO/Moxie’s–Next Slam: Stay Tuned.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—Host: Tazuo. All Ages. Cost: $5.00
Info: wordgroove @ yahoo.com
http://www.myspace.com/chicopoetreeslam

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(14) Oakland/ Hot Water –Next Slam: Stay Tuned!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
–The Hot Water slam’s venue folded. They are
searching for a new home and will re-start
the show soon.
–Hosted by Scorpio Blues
brandy @ hotwatercornbread . org
http://www.therexsbg.com More Info: 510-754-8409.
http://www.hotwatercornbread.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(15)UC Berkeley/Cal Slam –Next Slam: Stay Tuned.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—CONGRATULATIONS to the new team!
Dina Omar
Miguel Peraza
Isaac Miller
Cheese (Abe)
ALT: Hillary Lehr
—On Campus @ Gelateria Naia Lounge on Lower Sproul
(2475 Bancroft Way). $3 students, $5 general.
ll Ages. Sign-ups at 7:30pm. Slam starts at 8.
All Ages. 8PM. Info: calpoetryslam@yahoo.com
www.myspace.com/calpoetryslam
—Gelateria Naia Lounge on Lower Sproul
(2475 Bancroft Way). $5 general, $3 students.
All Ages. 8PM. Info: calpoetryslam @ yahoo.com
www.myspace.com/calpoetryslam

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(16)CHAZ ALSO SUGGESTS: Youth Speaks Semi’s & Finals
From an email newsletter:
~~~~~~~~~~
—-After five explosive weeks of poetry on more
than a dozen stages across the Bay Area, The Grand
Slam Finals for The 11th Annual Youth Speaks Teen
Poetry Slam are here. Join us this Saturday, March
17 when the final 18 young poets take to the stage
at The Masonic Auditorium.
—-Hosted by Def Poetry’s Beau Sia, who will share
the stage with James Kass and DJ Funklor, and
featuring a special performance from 2006 Teen
Poetry Slam Champ George Watsky, you won’t want to
miss this remarkable presentation of the next
generation speaking for itself.
—-The Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam Finals have
sold out each of the last 10 years, so get your
tickets online now at www.masonicauditorium.com, or
by calling 415.292.9191. You can also get tickets
from the Youth Speaks office 10 A.M to 6 P.M., now
through Friday (290 Division Street, Suite 302, in
San Francisco).
—-Please join Youth Speaks in congratulating the
following Grand Slam Finalists of The 11th Annual
Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam:
Stephen Allen (Oakland)
Austin Ashford (Union City)
Robin Black (San Francisco)
Jari Bradley (San Francisco)
Simone Crew (San Francisco)
Dominique Davis (Alameda)
Alex Gonzales (Berkeley)
Rodrael Guadalupe (Hayward)
Jazz Hudson (Fairfield)
Kristina Jackson (Sacramento)
DeAndre Johnson (Oakland)
Dyanna Loeb (Oakland)
Laurie Magers (Union City)
Isaac Miller (Berkeley)
Tiara Phalon Ragsdail (Oakland)
Terry Taplin (Berkeley)
Michael Taylor (San Jose)
Denise Wallace (San Francisco)
—-San Francisco Poet Laureate Jack Hirschman joins
us at The Grand Slam Finals
—-Our Judges for the finals are author and hip-hop
historian Jeff Chang, former Teen Poetry Slam
champions Katri Foster and Jose Vadi, youth
development specialist and MaCarthur Fellow Lateefah
Simon, and the current Poet Laureate of San
Francisco, Jack Hirschman.
—-Tickets for this history-making event
are available now at www.masonicauditorium.com or
by calling 415.292.9191. It’s only $6 for youth
and $18 for general admission
—-Grand Slam Finals
of The 11th Annual Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam
Saturday, March 17, 2007 :: 7 P.M.
The Masonic Auditorium
Only $18 General / $6 Youth under 20 & Elders 65 +
www.masonicauditorium.com
415.292.9191
Tickets are going fast!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BONUS HAIKU/SENRIYU
–By Yours Truly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

My birthday presents:
New weeding gloves and sun block
(wifey’s subtle hint).

~~~~~~~~~~
–See Ya At Tha Slam!
Charles Ellik, ed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
–NORCAL SLAM UPDATE is my online fanzine of the
NorCal slam scene, posted every Tues. It’s highly
subjective and reviews are limited to where Chaz
can visit. No ads or paid endorsements accepted.
Non-slam events included as sanity & space permits.
Beware! Slams are not for faint of heart! The
UPDATE, its editor and contributors and host sites
are not responsible for what happens if you attend
any of the shows listed.
–Weekly Circulation: approx. 3,700 world-wide.
–All local reports are edited for length.
–Slams nationwide: http://www.poetryslam.com
–A listserve to chat about slams in NorCal:
norcalslams-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
–To join the oldest international slam listserve:
email: poetry_slam-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
–For info on many non-slam poetry events in CA
(NorCal) http://www.poetryflash.org/
(SoCal) http://www.poetix.net
—Photo’s of slams: http://www.poeticdream.com
—An ‘incomplete history’ of slam’s early days:
http://www.e-poets.net/library/slam/
—Your Editor’s Site:
http://people.tribe.net/charles

~~~~~~~~~~~
(1) NEWS & TIBITS
~~~~~~~~

—SF SLAM IS BACK, in a hot new venue, offering an
“Experiemental Open Mic”, $150 in cash prizes, and
they’re sending a team to Nationals! The first
show is Sunday, March 18. Details: ().

—YOUTHSPEAKS has booked one of the largest venues
in SF, the 3,500 seat Masonic Auditorium, for their
team Finals. Yes, this will be the biggest audience
ever assembled for a poetry slam, anywhere. Check
out this or their Semi’s for an action-packed event!
Details:().

—iWPS 2009: There is a bid in the works to bring
this incredible event to the Bay Area in 2009. If
you’re interested in helping, or just want to be a
fly on the wall, please join:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/iWPS_2009_NorCal

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(2) BERZERKELEY SLAM — Every Wednesday.
Chaz checks in:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—-THIS WEEK: Open Slam! Live Jazz, $150 in Cash
Prizes, Hot Pizza, and Irish Beer! Christian Drake
Co-hosts the slam!
—FEATURING:
—-LAST WEEK:
—-OUR FEATURES:
—-ROUND 2:
—-UPCOMING: Mar 14: Atlanta’s Marc Marcel. Mar 21:
THEMED SLAM: “Diaspora” (A dispersion of a people
from their original homeland). Prizes will be $200,
$100, and $50!!! Winners feature at the finale of
the Jewish Music Fest.
http://www.jewishmusicfestival.org
—-TOP 16 STANDINGS: Christian:28points, Jamie:13,
Isaac M:13, Lucky:13, Stephen M:12, Miss Ashleigh:10,
Joshua:8, Christine H:7, Stephen Bor: 5, Dawn:4,
Felipe:4, Julia:4, Andrew Lowe:4, Mack: 4, Kat S:4,
Cheese:3, D.Silence:3, Kim J:3.
——STARRY PLOUGH. 3101 Shattuck. 510-841-2082.
(1 block uphill of Ashby BART). EVERY WEDS.
8:30-11pm. Sign-ups: 7:30. All ages before 9pm.
$150 Cash Prizes. $7 door, $5 students w/I.D.
Hosts: Charles Ellik, Betsy Roll & Friends.
Live Music: 3 Blind Mice, & DJ Agana.
http://www.berkeleypoetryslam.com
Contact: voluptuary @ hotmail.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(3) WordShop –Every WEDS.
Christian Drake checks in:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—Attendance is up, the conversation is lively.
But right now, WordShop needs two things:
1) DRINKERS! Seriously, folks, why do we bother
offering FREE BEER if it’s only the straight-edgers
showing up? Last week the non-drinkers outweighed
the drinkers so heavily we didn’t even get a pitcher,
and there was talk about getting a pitcher of root
beer instead. Not in my house! 2) POEMS! The
writing exercises have yielded some great results,
and we’ve had tons of fun dissecting spoken word
pieces, but lately there’s been a dearth of copies
of poems. I know you’re hoarding them somewhere! The
FREE PIZZA will feed our gullets, but only poems on
paper will stuff the hungry maw of our minds.
—Let’s recap: WordShop. Best minds in Bay Area
poetry and spoken word. Free pizza, free beer. Bring
a pad, a pen, a paradigm, and 6 to 12 copies of a
poem you want to workshop. See you there, poets.
——STARRY PLOUGH. 3101 Shattuck. 510-841-2082.
(1 block uphill of Ashby BART). EVERY WEDS. FREE!
6:30 PM. ALL AGES. Moderator: Christian Drake.
Contact: xndrake @ gmail dot com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(4) MONTEREY –WEDS, March 7.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
–EAST VILLAGE COFFEE LOUNGE. 498 Washington St.
(@Pearl St.) near Downtown Monterey.
Show: 8:00-10:00pm. $3 donation.
Open Mic & slam every Wednesday.
Host: Garland Thompson.
Booking: gtpoet @ gmail.com
The Rubber Chicken Poetry Slam & Open Mic
http://www.westcoastslam.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(5) SAN JOSE –Next Slam: Every TUES.
Kat Dietrich checks in:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—Upcoming features:
Billy Tuggle 03/13
Marc Marcel 03/20
—Well, my dears, last Tuesday was certainly
intimate. It seems taking Mardi Gras off made some
people forget their way. Well, those that came
hung out without our friends. Told fond stories
about them. Remember when those people came that
one time? Yeah, that one time. They smelled like
lavender and ink and sounded like the rustling of
the pages in old books. Our slam was small, but hot,
and Tristisma took 1st, Andrew Love 2nd, and Dana
took 3rd. We also had Paul Sawyer audition for a
host position by co-hosting with both Bundy and
Kyle. While still getting used to the slam, he
seems to be enthusiastic and he did a great job.
—Our feature was the promised battle between the
Chrises. This time it was Chris Bundy and Chris Lok
that battled it out for the fame, glory, and belt.
In a vicious, five-round battle between the two,
including a special “Warm It Up Chris” round (I’m
about to), Chris Bundy won the battle and continues
to be the reigning World Poetry Federation champion.
Again. For the 4th time. Can’t someone come and rip
that title from under him?
—As always, we will have poets, poetry, and beer!
We look forward to seeing you again.
—- The Britannia Arms. 173 W. Santa Clara,
Downtown San Jose. 6 bucks 18+ 8pm
Hosted By: Kyle Houston
Music By: rebelskamp
http://www.sanjosepoetryslam.com
Info: kat0ninetales @ aol . com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(6) SACRAMENTO –Next Slam: TUES, Mar 13.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—The venue will take place every week, with a
slam TWICE a month! Features and cash prizes…
—Hosted by Khiry Malik, Ifa Modupe, and Patrice
Hill…
—-Vlade Divac’s Tunel 21. 926 2nd St.
Poetry every week, Slams 2nd & 4th TUES.
Ages 21+. Cash prizes. $5.00 cover.
Hosts: Khiry, Ifa, and Patrice.
Info: nubiansoul @ yahoo . com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(7) MODESTO –Next Slam: WEDS, March 14.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
–PROSPECT Theater. 520 Scenic Drive. Directions:
(209) 549-9341. 2nd WED MONTHLY. 7:00pm. For Local
Info: (209) 575-6183. Sign up starts @ 6:45pm.
Regular Admission: $3.00. Poet’s Fee: $5.00
Cash Prizes: 1st & 2nd place. MC: Sam Pierstorff.
Info: http://www.slamonrye.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(8) OAK/ BrOakland –FRI, March 16.
Dahled checks in:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—Café Axe, 1525 Webster St, Dwntown.
Sign up @ 7:30, Open-mic @ 8:00pm
Slam @8:30. $5 to watch. 1st & 3rd FRIDAYS
$3 to read & for students / teachers
ALL AGES! $50 in cash prizes.
Hosted by Nazelah, Dahled & DJ Agana!
More info: djefreez @ yahoo.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(9) SF/The City Slam & Experimental Mic.
–Next Slam: SUN, March 18.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—San Francisco Slam is back and in full effect.
WE ARE SENDING A TEAM TO NATIONALS !!! We LOVE the
new venue. Our first show will be on Sunday,
March 18th, and every Second Sunday thereafter.
—WHO: Mona Webb (former Baton Rouge Slaminatrix)
& Charles Ekabhumi Ellik (Berkeley Slammaster:
www.berkeleypoetryslam.com) host the event. Latin
grooves on the 1’s & 2’s provided by: DJ Agana.
—FEATURING: Minneapolis’ hilarious Thadra
Sheridan & Baton Rouge’s champion, Xero Skidmore.
http://www.xeroskidmore.com
—WHAT: A Spoken Word variety show built around a
competition. The audience chooses who wins the
$100, $30, and $20 Cash Prizes. Ultimately, 4
poets will be selected to represent San Francisco
at the National Poetry Slam in August 2007.
http://www.poetryslam.com
—WHERE: The Poleng Lounge. It’s a new spot in
the old Storyville, where the SF Slam was held in
‘03. Oh Boy oh Boi they’ve remodeled the place and
the spot is bangin. Its got a fresh vibe, very
urban, very cosmopolitan. The food is incredible
and better still, affordable. They have this fried
Calamari dish and famous Sweet Potato fries that
are just fabulous! There’s a very extensive list of
exotic teas to boot. Plus it is ALL AGES! And if
that isn’t enough, it was also named one of the Top
10 Restaurants in the Bay Area by the SF Chronicle.
http://www.polenglounge.com/
—WHEN: Sunday, March 18th, 2007. Sign Ups: 7:30,
Show: 8:30-11:30pm.
—WHY: To create a forum for creative expression
that embodies the power of the poetry slam
community and welcomes the authenticity and
brilliance of experimentation. We will blend
layers of music, dance, spoken word and all
artistic avenues of creative expression together to
create a rose bud of delight.
—HOW: The format of the show will be a mixture
of Experimental Artists and Slam Poets alternating
on stage. Slam Poets have a 3-minute time limit,
Open Mic performers get 4 minutes. Those who sign
up to perform will indicate if they wish to be
judged or not. Only performers respecting the
slam rules may qualify for the prizes and slam
team.
—THE STORY: In 1989, San Francisco native Gary
Mex Glazner invented the National Poetry Slam,
inviting teams of poets from slam venues across
North America to participate. In ‘97, Gary handed
off the title of “San Francisco Slammaster” to
Charles Ellik. In ‘99, SF won the National Poetry
Slam. Marc Bamuthi Joseph took over the SF Slam,
and the legendary Second Sundays was born, the
largest slam in the world.
—In 2003-06, Several different organizers then
ran the slam, and while the Slam Team did well at
Nationals, the slam itself foundered. In ‘06,
after many years of co-hosting the legendary Baton
Rouge slam, Mona Webb moved to the Bay Area to
study at New College. She met Charles, and they
agreed to combine their decades of experience to
revive the SF Slam.
—FOR YOU SLAM INSIDERS: The SF Slam is certified
through the old venue, so the rankings earned by
poets at Bistro Yoffi will count toward qualifying
for the team.
—The City Slam & Experimental Open Mic.
Poleng Lounge. 1751 Fulton Ave @ Masonic.
2nd Sundays MONTHLY. 7:30 sign-up, 8:30 show.
ALL AGES. $7 Door. $150 Cash Prizes.
Hosts: Mona Webb & Charles Ekabhumi Ellik.
Grooves provided by: DJ Agana.
Info: thecityslam @ yahoo. com
http://www.polenglounge.com/
TRANSIT: Cars: Pay garage across the street
under Albertson’s. BART: from Civic Center,
exit toward 6th St, walk N. to McAllister,
take the 5 Fulton Bus. http://www.sfmta.com
CARPOOL: 3-5 fans, show us your ticket from the
garage, everybody gets $2 off admission.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(10) SANTA CRUZ –Next Slam: WEDS, Mar 21.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—-The E3 Playhouse. 435 Front St.
Santa Cruz, Ca, 95060. 3rd WEDS MONTHLY.
8:00-10:30pm. Sign ups: 7:30. Host: Shimmy
12 poets, 2 rounds. Cash Prizes!
All Ages welcome, $2 pints for 21+
Cash prizes for top 3 poets, $4 door
Hosts: Mr Free & Friends
Contact: sccityslam@gmail.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(11) PALO ALTO —SUN, March 25.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—our website is kinda in limbo stages right now
and it not very reliable but any questions about
this or upcoming shows can be directed to
payadas@paloaltoslam.com
—ART 21. 539 Alma St. Doors: 7:30. Show: 8pm.
$5/$3 students w/I.D. All Ages. LAST SUN MONTHLY.
payadas@paloaltoslam.com
http://www.paloaltoslam.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(12) OAK/Tourettes –Next Slam: THURS, April 5.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—–OAKLAND METRO 201 Broadway @ 2nd, Jack London
Square. Hosted by Jamie DeWolf & Geoff Trenchard
& DJ F*CK OFF! * ALL AGES *Full Bar* Sign up 8pm
* Show 8:30pm * $8 * Onstage Freakin’ by QUEEN
BLANKETY BLANK * Meat and Mayhem by MISS SUCCUBUS
Info: tongueartillery @ hotmail.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(13) CHICO/Moxie’s–Next Slam: Stay Tuned.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—Host: Tazuo. All Ages. Cost: $5.00
Info: wordgroove @ yahoo.com
http://www.myspace.com/chicopoetreeslam

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(14) Oakland/ Hot Water –Next Slam: Stay Tuned!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
–The Hot Water slam’s venue folded. They are
searching for a new home and will re-start
the show soon.
–Hosted by Scorpio Blues
brandy @ hotwatercornbread . org
http://www.therexsbg.com More Info: 510-754-8409.
http://www.hotwatercornbread.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(15)UC Berkeley/Cal Slam –Next Slam: Stay Tuned.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—CONGRATULATIONS to the new team!
Dina Omar
Miguel Peraza
Isaac Miller
Cheese (Abe)
ALT: Hillary Lehr
—On Campus @ Gelateria Naia Lounge on Lower Sproul
(2475 Bancroft Way). $3 students, $5 general.
ll Ages. Sign-ups at 7:30pm. Slam starts at 8.
All Ages. 8PM. Info: calpoetryslam@yahoo.com
www.myspace.com/calpoetryslam
—Gelateria Naia Lounge on Lower Sproul
(2475 Bancroft Way). $5 general, $3 students.
All Ages. 8PM. Info: calpoetryslam @ yahoo.com
www.myspace.com/calpoetryslam

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(16)CHAZ ALSO SUGGESTS: Youth Speaks Semi’s & Finals
From an email newsletter:
~~~~~~~~~~
—After 3 weeks of preliminary rounds and the OUSD
and SFUSD High School Poetry Slams, there are now
80 poets left. These young writers and performers
will perform in the next two weeks to land a spot
on stage at the Masonic Auditorium on Saturday,
March 17 for the Grand Slam Finals of the 11th
Annual Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam.
—Taking place at the Oakland Museum and the SF
MOMA, the Semi-Finals highlight the artists of the
next generation. Come out and support these writers
as they bring the noise from their notebooks at the
most exciting literary arts event in the Bay.
Tickets are on sale now and are going fast!
—This year, the top-scoring poets at the Finals
will go on to represent the Bay at the Brave New
Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival
(July in San Jose), and have the opportunity to get
their own book published through First Word Press -
and win a new iMac computer.
—Hosted by Def Poetry’s Beau Sia, the Grand Slam
Finals also feature 2006 Slam Champ George Watsky,
the one-and-only DJ Funklor, and, of course, 17
young poets. Tickets for this history-making event
are available now at www.masonicauditorium.com or
by calling 415.292.9191. It’s only $6 for youth
and $18 for general admission with your help, the
event will sell out, so get your tickets early.
—Buy tickets to the Grand Slam Finals!
—Don’t Miss The Youth Speaks Teen Poetry Slam!
—-Semi-Finals of The 11th Annual Youth Speaks
Teen Poetry Slam
Friday, March 2 & Saturday, March 3, 2007 :: 7 P.M.
The Oakland Museum
1000 Oak Street, Oakland
$10 General / $6 Youth under 20 & Elders 65 +
www.brownpapertickets.com
For info: 415 255 9035 www.youthspeaks.org
—-Semi-Finals of The 11th Annual Youth Speaks
Teen Poetry Slam
Friday, March 9 & Saturday, March 10 :: 7 P.M.
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
151 Third Street, San Francisco
Advance Tickets $10 General / $4 Youth under 20
& Elders 65 +
www.sfmoma.com
Tickets at the Door $10 General / $6 Youth
under 20 & Elders 65 +
For info: 415 255 9035 www.youthspeaks.org
—-Grand Slam Finals of The 11th Annual Youth
Speaks Teen Poetry Slam
Saturday, March 17, 2007 :: 7 P.M.
The Masonic Auditorium
1111 California Street, San Francisco
$18 General / $6 Youth under 20 & Elders 65 +
www.masonicauditorium.com
415.292.9191

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BONUS HAIKU/SENRIYU
–By Yours Truly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Old windshield wipers:
Bright kaleidoscope of death.
White knuckle driving.

~~~~~~~~~~
–See Ya At Tha Slam!
Charles Ellik, ed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
–NORCAL SLAM UPDATE is my online fanzine of the
NorCal slam scene, posted every Tues. It’s highly
subjective and reviews are limited to where Chaz
can visit. No ads or paid endorsements accepted.
Non-slam events included as sanity & space permits.
Beware! Slams are not for faint of heart! The
UPDATE, its editor and contributors and host sites
are not responsible for what happens if you attend
any of the shows listed.
–Weekly Circulation: approx. 3,700 world-wide.
–All local reports are edited for length.
–Slams nationwide: http://www.poetryslam.com
–A listserve to chat about slams in NorCal:
norcalslams-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
–To join the oldest international slam listserve:
email: poetry_slam-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
–For info on many non-slam poetry events in CA
(NorCal) http://www.poetryflash.org/
(SoCal) http://www.poetix.net
—Photo’s of slams: http://www.poeticdream.com
—An ‘incomplete history’ of slam’s early days:
http://www.e-poets.net/library/slam/
—Your Editor’s Site:
http://people.tribe.net/charles

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BERZERKELEY SLAM — Every Wednesday.
Chaz checks in:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

—THIS WEEK: Our biggest event: the 8th Annual

**EROTIC POETRY SLAM!**

Featuring Vancouver’s CR Avery and the very naughty
toy giveaway! $10 Door. This event sells out every
year. Arrive early, order a pizza, save a seat!

–Folks, I’ll be honest with you. There are three
big reasons why this year’s show should be more
enjoyable. #1: CR Avery. He’s that good. #2: Our
regulars. We’ve got a fantastic set of new poets
on the scene this year, including several who moved
here from other slams. #3: I didn’t promote as much
this year, due to other obligations. Bad for my
budget, GREAT for you, as this show has been un-
comfortably packed in past years. This year, you
should actually be able to get inside and order a
drink!

–Our feature, CR, has a loyal following here in
the Bay. He’s been on several Vancouver slam teams,
toured the continent, wrote a “Hiphop Opera”,
brought audiences to tears. CR has got that Canuk
Aw-shucks shy boy demeanor; a stealth heartbreaker.
He’s got that intensely romantic style “like Dylan-
meets-Beck”. He’s got that soulful WAY with his
harmonica! This time, he has a real keyboard and a
sweet acoustic guitar for him, so he can stretch
out those music muscles to match his poetic powers
for a full solo set.

—LAST WEEK: We had judges who knew what they
liked …and crushed what displeased them! Jason
Bayani set the bar with “A Love Sung In Ink” and a
28.2. Rasikh dropped some conscious Hiphop for a
27.4. Christian gave a heart-stopping performance
that the judges slept on. Big Nate rocked “You
Ain’t No Poet” for another 28.2, while Vikki and
Mark tied for 5th in two VERY different styles.
Top score went to newcomer George Watsky, who
delivered “Easy Answers” in tightly crafted poem of
the Youth Speaks style.

—Jamie “De Wolf” sorbet with an anthem for
recovering junkies, and our features from Boston
responded with a gritty, taut set of poems about
sensuality, love, angels, and survival. Caroline
and J*me swim in deep waters, indeed.

—Round 2 opened with a fresh “Old School” poem by
Stephen Meads, earning the only “10″ of the night!
Rasikh suffered a time penalty and took 4th. Big
Nate’s “Emergency Room” earned him a solid 3rd.
Jason debuted a new poem and 2nd by a huge 3-point
margin. But George did not falter, took the high
score again and the big money in his first Berkeley
Slam!

—UPCOMING: Feb 15: Ntnl Indi Champion, Anis
Mojgani. Feb 22: Modesto’s Sam Pierstorff, and
Cleveland’s Buddy Ray McNiece. Mar 1: Rives “The
Storyteller”.

—TOP 16 POETS: Stephen M=16; Sara L=11; Xian D=7;
Andrew L=7; Jason B=6; Mark=5; Jaylee A=4; Big
Nate=4; Dahled=4; Dawn=4; P.L.Davis=4; Elliot H=4;
L.A.Kenyatta=4; George W=4; Alex C=3; Hillary H=3;
Kim J=3;

——STARRY PLOUGH. 3101 Shattuck. 510-841-2082.
(1 block uphill of Ashby BART). EVERY WEDS.
8:30-11pm. Sign-ups: 7:30. All ages before 9pm.
$90 Cash Prizes. $7 door, $5 students w/I.D.
Hosts: Charles Ellik, Betsy Roll & Friends.
Live Music: 3 Blind Mice, & DJ Agana.
http://www.berkeleypoetryslam.com
Media Sponsor: http://www.eastbayexpress.com
Yoga Sponsor: http://www.yogamandalastudio.com
Contact: voluptuary@hotmail.com

—Just a reminder, this Monday is another edition of Monday Nite Yoga, all the fun you can have in public with just yourself, the clothes on your tushie, and a Yoga mat. 7:00-8:30pm.

—This week, we’ll explore some of the most simple and easy yoga postures that some folks just can’t seem to do. Postures that look like they should be a cinch.

—And it’s different for everyone. Because all our bodies are unique, some of us have no problem balancing on one foot, while to others it’s Mission Impossible. Same goes for touching your toes, or bending backwards, or even just sitting completely still for more than 10 seconds in silence.

—This is a beginning Hatha Yoga class, so the pace will be modest, the postures basic, everyone of every age is welcome.

http://www.yogamandalastudio.com

–So this is it, the big audition to teach at my home studio. I’m strangely not nervous anymore. Between the home classes I’ve been teaching, the kid’s class, and the apprenticeship, I’ve been getting lots of practice. I’m actually looking forward to it! I’m only worried that no one will show up!

–Anyway, the official info is below. Hit me if you have any questions…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Friends–

–Hello again! Just a reminder: free Yoga class this Thursday (tonight!), 8:00-9:30pm. 2112 Carleton, near Shattuck Ave in downtown Berkekely.

–Please consider staying for a few minutes after class to enjoy some tea.

–Also: as all of you know, the home class I’ve been offering is a dress rehearsal to help me prepare for an audition to teach public classes. Please mark your calendars, let your friends know, and join me for a fun (free!) and important milestone! The invitation is below.

–So the home classes will be more ‘official’, so as to be the best possible preparation. It is unlikely that I will continue these home classes if I pass the audition, so if you’ve been thinking of coming, do so now!

Thanks & See You Soon
chaz

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yoga Mandala

http://www.yogamandalastudio.com/
2807 Telegraph Ave. (2 stoplights north of Ashby)
(510) 486-1989

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Namaste,

Please join us on Sat., Dec. 17 at 12:30pm to evaluate a free 1-hour class with Charles Ellik. He is currently teaching our Kid’s Yoga class on Thurs. at 3:30pm and is interested in working with some adults soon. Please available for up to 5 min. after class to fill out a short survey regarding the class.

It’s really great when the community participates in picking their own teachers so try to make it if you can!

Much thanks!

Jagadamba

—THIS WEEK: $150 BOUT! A National Indi Champ! Micro Brew Specials! Sara Lihz! REALLY Bad Puns! Jazzy Open Mic!

–FEATURING: Sara Lihz Dobel is a recent Bay Area transplant, here to finish her MFA in writing. She’s a National speech and debate champ, member of team Des Moines ‘02 and Omaha ‘05 as well as team coach in 03 & 04. A hardworking waitress bringing hard truth to the mic. “Post-Confessional”, intense and emotional, her own mom sez, “that was really good, but she’s SO serious!” Sara’s already a fave among fans of well-written work and ‘in with the cool kidz’. This is her first Berkeley feature.

–And THE BIG $150 BOUT: Normally, the Bout is last week’s slam winner versus winner of the previous slam, but Stephen Meads won them BOTH, so he earned the rare privilege of naming his challenger! And he went for a gutsy match: San Jose’s champ, former National Indi Champ, just back from a national tour and one of the funniest performers in slam: Mighty Mike McGee. That’s RIGHT! Big bucks on the line, five rounds of lyrical mayhem!

–OPEN MIC: We have tons of great programming, so it’s a special Open Mic instead of slam. See our regulars look like rock stars when our VERY talented band backs them, or read your own work without the pressure of scores!

—-LAST WEEK: We had a modest (100) crowd looking for a good time on a rare Wednesday when no one had to worry about getting up for work! We had a great time with the “Why I Deserve The Bird” contest, won by Mark States, who claimed he was going to take it to a Vegan potluck, but instead gave it to the low-scoring poet of the night.

–Our feature was our very own LUCKY 7, who romped through a tight set of her slam hits and personal favorites. Then, in a rare treat for loyal fans, she cracked open the diary and read some intimate thoughts off page before closing her set in fine form with “Henny Penny”.

–We had a very interesting Open Slam, decided entirely by time penalties! Top score of Round 1 went to Becky D, who’s “Poot” poem wow-ed the judges but lost four points to the clock. Also on fire was Hilary Hayes, who ALSO lost 1.9 to time and barely advanced.

–R2: Mark States shared sorrows of growing up white and crazy in Oaktown, Jonathan put together two strong pieces to finish 4th, Andrew Lowe (visiting for the holiday) got political with a new piece about sexual freedom and earned $20 for 3rd, Hilary got the high score of R2 with “Done Wasting My Time”, got ANOTHER penalty (1.3), yet still finished 2nd. Stephen came back strong with “Calvin”, lost .9, yet squeaked into the top spot for the 2nd week in a row, now untouchable at the top of the Standings.

—UPCOMING: Dec 7: Denver’s maniacal Paulie Lipman. Dec 14: Hilary Hayes & Krissi Reeves.

—STANDINGS: NOTE: last week’s slam was reported incorrectly and standings have been corrected. Stephen Meads=11; L. Abdul Kenyatta=4; Elliot Harmon=4; Alex Charalambides=3; Hillary Hayes=3; Kim Johnson=3; Jaylee Alde=2; Kat Dietrich=2; Aaron Enskat=2; Andrew Lowe=2; Ansel Appleton=1; Jason Bayani=1; Jon Brown=1; Jonathan=1.

——STARRY PLOUGH. 3101 Shattuck. 510-841-2082.
(1 block uphill of Ashby BART). EVERY WEDS.
8:30-11pm. Sign-ups: 7:30. All ages before 9pm.
$90 Cash Prizes. $7 door, $5 students w/I.D.
Hosts: Charles Ellik, Betsy Roll & Friends.
Live Music: 3 Blind Mice, & DJ Agana.
www.berkeleypoetryslam.com
Media Sponsor: www.eastbayexpress.com
Yoga Sponsor: www.yogamandalastudio.com
Contact: voluptuary@hotmail.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(4) MONTEREY/RUBBER CHICKEN –Slam: WEDS, Nov 23.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
–MORGAN’S Coffee & Tea. 498 Washington (@Pearl)
near Dwntwn Monterey. Show: 8:00-10:00pm.
$5 Cover (slammers $2.00).
Open Mic every week. SLAM: 2ND & 4TH Weds.
Host: Garland Thompson & Chamber-7.
Info: chmbrse7en@yahoo.com
Booking: gtpoet@gmail.com
http://www.rubberchickenpoetry.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(5) SAN JOSE –Next Slam: Every MONDAY.
Anthony R. Miller checks in:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once again mondays at the brit was a hoot. This was probably one of
the best slams weve all year. Last night was the final qualifyer for
Indie finals on dec 9th. And man oh man did the poets come
put…late, at 8:05 we had 3 poets signed up, by 8:30 it had 11. this
slam does no help for my graying hair. First were our sacrifices Kyle
Houston , who hosts our open mic night and Ian all the way from
Denver, CO. That got people plenty warmed up. The first round
included Verse , an sj regular that gets better every week. Becky D.
Follwed up with “the fart”, and jason bayani did a new poem, that
knocked the scores way up. Caramel, another Sj regular also did new
work, The up came mike friggin mcgee. with “im not but if I were” the
audience was strangly quiet during the poets, not a ton of laughs,
but when he finished people went bonkers. Next up was the freshly
head shaven Iko , giving everyone a dose of literary poetry, cause
someone has to . Two more SJ regulars G. willikers and Wes hit the
stage. Next Palo Alto Slammaster and 2005 King of the Mic Lee Knight
Jr. rocked the audience with a poem about war and family, He was
followed by The other Half of The Palo Alto Slam Melissa Rose!. The 1
st round wrapped up with Tristisima doing his “punch me” poem, but no
one ever punches him.

We took a break and came back with A sorbet by Andrew Love , then
came our feature Chris Bundy. Bundy made good use of the wireless
mic (which everyone loves) and got right into the aydience with a
mix of new poetry and the poems we all know. He finished the set
with “orgys” which got people worked into a drunken frenzy.

The second round was pretty friggin rad.

Things kicked off with a sacrifice from bill peckam, who was showered
by the audience with the chanting of his name.

Mike McGee began the second round with a complete innovation
of “Microphone” he used the wireless mic and performed the entire
piece out side on the streets of san jose… people were blown away
and he pulled a perfect 30 sealing up first. But the fight was not
over, Jason Bayani was looking for qualifying points and out for
blood, he put on a classic performance and sealed up 2nd. But Lee
Knight Jr. wouldnt be counted out he delivered a flawless performance
of “Chamelion” and took 3rd Melissa Rose, came hard and took 4th and
Tristissma round it out by taking 5th.

Next week is gonna be big weve still got open mic night, and indie
finals is nigh.

Monday Dec 5th, the openmic returns, this show is quickly becoming a
favorite folks, people love the vibe, the poetry and THE MUSIC. Dont
miss Host Kyle Houston and House Band Rebelskamp! Dont miss special
feature Lucy Anderton. This is the best time you can have on a monday.
I swear

INDIE FINALS DEC 9TH
Just a few days later the top 8 poets in san jose will duke it out
for the chance to represent the city of san jose at the individual
world poetry slam in Charlotte, NC.
this is going to be a star studded show, do not miss it.
Our special feature is the first sj indie champ and the slammaster of
the new ventura slam PARADOX!, One of the most innovative and
talented performance poets in America is gonna rock the stage , you
gotta be there. Then we have special guest hosts, Nick Fox and Lucy
Anderton, dont miss thier inidividual features on the 5th and 6th!.

and now your finalists
Chris Bundy
Mike McGee
Anthony R. Miller
Kat
Bobby the Bartender
Big Nate Da Poet
Becky D
Jason Bayani

Oooh Yeah! this shows gonna rule

that info again

San Jose Poetry Slam Open Mic Night
Monday Dec 5th
Hosted by Kyle Houston
Music By Rebelskamp
Special feature-Lucy Anderton
The Britannia Arms
173 W. Santa Clara
Downtown San Jose
6 bucks 8pm 18+/wid

San Jose Poetry Slam Individual Finals
Friday Dec 9th
Hosted By Nick Fox and Lucy Anderton
Music by Jay Rush
Special Feature-PARADOX
The Britannia Arms
173 W. Santa Clara
Downtown San Jose
8 bucks 8pm 18+/wid
–Brittania Arms (Downtown, 173 Santa Clara St.)
4082781400 Door & Signups 8:00pm. 18+ w/ID.
EVERY MONDAY. Ages 18+. Cash Prizes. $6 cover.
DJ: Jay Rush. Contact: sjslam@auraltradition.com
Details: http://www.sanjoseslam.com
http://www.britanniaarms.com
www.auraltradition.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
()SACRAMENTO/MAHOGANY–Readings every WEDS.
Next Slam: WEDS, Nov 30.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—SWEET FINGER RESTAURANT. 1704 Broadway. 9pm.
All ages. Readings EVERY WED; Slam LAST WED.
Cash Prizes. Hosted by: Khiry. DJ Rock Bottom
Info: slam@malikspeaks.com
http://www.malikspeaks.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
() OAK/Tourettes –Next Slam: THURS, Dec 1.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
–OAKLAND METRO 201 Broadway @ 2nd, Jack London
Square. Hosted by Jamie DeWolf & Geoff Trenchard
& DJ F*CK OFF! * ALL AGES * Full Bar Sign up 8pm
* Show 8:30pm * $7-10 Sliding Scale
Info: tongueartillery@hotmail.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
() PALO ALTO –Next Slam: SUN, Dec 3.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—ART 21. 539 Alma St. Doors: 7:15. Show: 8pm.
$5/$3 students w/ I.D. All Ages. 1st & 3rd SUN.
payadas@paloaltoslam.com
http://www.paloaltoslam.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
()CHICO/Moxie’s–Next Slam: WEDS, Dec 7.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dec 7, 05 7pm
2 Round Open Slam
Free Speech Event
All Ages- $5
Moxies Dtwn Chico
Featuring: Mighty Mike McGee
—Dec 15, 05 7pm
2 Round Open Slam
Free Speech Event
All Ages - $5
Moxies Dtwn Chico
Featuring: Paulie Lipman from Denver
—Chico Slam will return in the end of
January …coming…Caroline Harvey, Rives,
Jaylee…..and mo……
—Moxie’s. 128 Broadway, dwntwn Chico.
(530) 345-0601. Host: Tazuo. All Ages.
Most Every Other WEDS. (check website).
Info: wordgroove@yahoo.com
http://www.wordgroove.com/chicoslam.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
() MODESTO –Next Slam: WED, Dec 14.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
–PROSPECT Theater. 520 Scenic Drive. Directions:
(209) 549-9341. 2nd WED MONTHLY. 7:00pm. For Local
Info: (209) 575-6183. Sign up starts @ 6:45pm.
Regular Admission: $3.00. Poet’s Fee: $5.00
Cash Prizes: 1st & 2nd place. MC: Sam Pierstorff.
Info: http://www.slamonrye.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
()OAKLAND / 3rdsdays –Next Slam: THURS, Dec 15.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—Read about us @:
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/Issues/2005-11-16/calendar/billboard3.html
—Oakland Metro. 201 Broadway, near Jack London
Square, Dwtwn Oakland. 3RD THURS Monthly.
Sign-up: 7:30. Show: 8:30. $60 CASH PRIZES!
Hosted by: Nazelah Jamison, Dahled & DJ Agana.
$6 General Admission ($3 OPSD students & teachers).
Info: chocolateorange8@yahoo.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
()NAPA LIBRARIES –Next Slam: SUN, Dec 18.
NOTE: Though this slam series is oriented toward
youth, it’s open to everyone. And they have GREAT
home made snacks! –chaz
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
–Hi,
–I just wanted to remind you that Sunday, Dec 18,
at 5:30 is the second Poetry SLAM of the season.
Come join us for a great evening of poetry, food
and fun! For more information check out our website
at:
http://www.co.napa.ca.us/Library/Home/331/N/4/SlamminYourLibrary.aspx
—SLAM Dates Sundays each month at 5:30 p.m.
December 18
January 22
February 12
March 12
April 23(GRAND SLAM) (National Poetry Month)
—Hope to see you there!!
Nancy Bradford
Reference/Young Adult Services Librarian
Napa City-County Library
580 Coombs St.
Napa, CA 94559
708-259-8394
nbradfor@co.napa.ca.us

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
() SF/Bistro Yoffi –Next Slam: Stay Tuned.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
—Bistro Yoffi. 2231 Chestnut St, SF. 7:30pm.
All Ages. FREE! Cash Prizes. No open sign ups.
Hosted by Kat Sanford & L. Abdul Kenyatta.
More info: berkeleykatpoet@yahoo.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
()BERKELEY/Cal Slam –Next Slam: On hiatus.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
–Watch for the slam to return this spring, in
preparation for Collegiate Nationals!
–Bear’s Lair. Corner of Bancroft & Telegraph,
Bottom floor of the Student Union, UC Berkeley
Sproul Plaza. Every 2nd and 4th TUES.
7:30 sign up, 8:00 slam. All ages, $3.
hosts: Jose Vadi and Angela Seo
Info: calpoetryslam@yahoo.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BONUS SENRYU/HAIKU –by Yours Truly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~
–See Ya At Tha Slam!
Charles Ellik, ed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
–NORCAL SLAM UPDATE is my online fanzine of the
NorCal slam scene, posted every Tues. It’s highly
subjective and reviews are limited to where Chaz
can visit. No ads or paid endorsements accepted.
Non-slam events included as sanity & space permits.
Beware! Slams are not for faint of heart! The
UPDATE, its editor and contributors and host sites
are not responsible for what happens if you attend
any of the shows listed.
–Weekly Circulation: approx. 3,000 world-wide.
–All local reports are edited for length.
–Slams nationwide: http://www.poetryslam.com
–A listserve to chat about slams in NorCal:
norcalslams-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
–To join the oldest international slam listserve:
email: poetry_slam-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
–For info on many non-slam poetry events in CA
(NorCal) http://www.poetryflash.org/
(SoCal) http://www.poetix.net
—Photo’s of slams: http://www.poeticdream.com
—For tips on competing, or starting a slam:
http://www.daniland.com/slam/slamfaq.html
—An ‘incomplete history’ of slam’s early days:
http://www.e-poets.net/library/slam/
—Groovy Slamsite: http://www.slamchannel.com
—Your Editor’s Site: http://charles.tribe.net