Lovers of words, it’s been a sweet month for poetry. The Canadian Festival of Spoken Word in Toronto blew many a mind, and gave the city some fresh perspectives on the art form of spoken word. Poets from across the country dropped some serious science on our cerebrals. When all was said and done, Vancouver took home their third championship in a row, with the Toronto2 team coming in second. Most importantly, poets guerilla-stormed the Indigo on John Street, we packed the St. Lawrence Centre on the finals night, and the community strengthened to the point where many of us were sad to see each other go back to our respective hometowns.
But onto this month’s real significance — the one-year anniversary of Toronto Poetry Slam. This funky spoken word competition began a year ago in the back room of the old Oasis Cafe on College (now The Savannah Room). Since that packed-wall-to-wall night, the Slam has taken off beyond my expectations: We’ve filled the El Mocambo on a Sunday night, crammed the Drake with hot poetry courtesy of New York’s Rives, and turned amateur poets into stars on any given night. I think it’s appropriate to big-up the winners of the past Toronto Poetry Slams, but note that every competitor deserves applause. A special congrats to: Spencer (3-time champ), Gypsy Eyes, Mic Smith, Tomy Bewick, DaneJahRas, Amanda Hiebert, and Leviathan.
The 2007 season of Toronto Poetry Slam is going to be a rockin’ good time, and I look forward to another 12 months of enthusiastic and supportive audiences. Watch out for themed slams, guest appearances by slam superstars Mike McGee and Barbara Adler, and an organized season of slammery that will determine the next Toronto Slam Team that will compete in both the U.S. National Slam Championship and the 2007 Canadian Festival of Spoken Word.
See you at the anniversary show on Nov. 25 at Cervejaria! Until then.