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Michael: February is the hottest month in the world of the Boston Poetry Slam, and we had a very packed show and slam this past week! Before we get to our epic slam, our open mic did feature some amazing highlights, like Marissa’s sexy-and-fun piece revolving around rhymes for “ratatouille”, River’s showstopping “Poem In Which My Fake Dick Sets Off The Security Alarm In The Airport”, and Maura’s crab-themed crossword/poem which had them filling out the answers as they read the clues out loud. During the smoking section, Kat Anderson gave a middle-school themed fun fact about each staff member, asking the audience to predict who was coming up next, which lead to some surprising guesses. Now let’s pass it over to our tournament director (and retired all-star slammer) Zeke Russell, for the big slam recap!
Zeke: I have one word and that word is: SPORTS! We had the first of our two preliminary bouts in the 2025 team selection tournament last Wednesday. 9 poets competed and gave us two rounds of beauty, art and miles and miles of heart.
Our two sacrifices kicked off the show. Mary gave us an intricate metered piece about growing up a woman that scored a 25.1. (NO CONTEXT!) Edie followed with a blistering take on the serenity prayer and resisting the forces that want to destroy them garnering a 26.6.
The first round was a whirlwind of talent and emotion:
• Keaton told us about a Halloween party and what it means to live in a body which earned a 24.5
• Logan brought us a layered, carefully constructed poem about family and despair which got a 24.9. Neither of these first two poets was enough to clear the sacrifice’s scores.
• However, Jarvis hit the stage with an anthem about the power of names and blew the scores open with a 27.7.
• Kelsey followed up with a complex metaphor exploring language and inheritance. I guess the judges weren’t listening to the same poem I was because it scored a 24.2.
• Kaitie D gave us a haunting poem about generational loss and what it means to love, pulling a score of 26.9.
• Jennifer Martinez mesmerized the crowd with a discussion of urban myths and the strange power of mirrors getting a 27.5
• Will Leonard performed their classic poem about water and the worst things that can happen to a person for a 24.9
• March closed out the first round with an automated customer service voice exploring the failed American healthcare system and existential dread for a 24.4
We didn’t even get a breather before ploughing into the second round:
• Kaitie kicked it off with a piece that used repetition and humor to explore the concepts of loss, rebuilding, and American Jesus. The score was a 24.7
• Second in the round was March with a tale of unmasking and queer identity which earned a 26.0.
• That brought up the top scorer from the first round, Jarvis, who told us about the return of La virgen de Guadalupe visiting modern America. The score was 26.9.
• Will’s second poem was a complex and surreal treatise on sex, gender and the itsy-bitsy spider. It scored a 25.8.
• Logan excited the crowd with a fan favorite about trans identity and what it means to come out. The poem scored a 26 .7
• Jennifer won the crowd with an impassioned love letter to homesickness, survival and love. The judges responded with a 29.4, the highest score of the night.
• Kelsey told us the tale of Rosemary’s baby and the commodification of pain which scored a 27.0
• Keaton closed out our night with a brand-new poem about work and its effects on the psyche earning a 25.1
When the dust settled, we had four poets headed to finals on the 26th and they were:
Jennifer Martinez 56.9
Jarvais Subia 54.6
Kaitie Dilan 51.6
Logan Lopez 51.6
Kelsey Kessler 51.2
Will Leonard 50.7
March Penn 50.4
Keaton Howl 49.6
A huge thank you to everyone who performed and to all who listened and judged.
Michael: This Wednesday, we’re doing it again! Round 2 of our Team Selection Preliminaries Slam will feature the following poets:
Ilse Ruizvisfocri
Brynna Boyd
Isaiah Newman
Katya Zinn
Renee Ramos
Otto Vock
Aparna Paul
Amy Argentar
Myles Taylor
Be sure to be here early, as these shows sell out fast! Open mic is at 8 pm, slam starts around 10!
See you soon,
– MFG🚪& Zeke ⚾
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