Both of your posts brought up slam poetry in my mind. I never really know how I feel about slam poetry since it incorporates tonal shifts in voice with actually performing and moving–and these tonal shifts are so much more exaggerated then when you hear a poet read their work. I think I’m on the fence mainly because it kind of makes me uncomfortable for some reason, which is saying a lot coming from me. I think the fact that poetry is so personal to the narrator, and then there they are loudly expressing it, is the reason for this, or maybe it’s because I can’t read it alone in my own space. Either way, this is one slam poetry video that I actually enjoy. I think it is really well done, but maybe I’d be on edge if I was in the audience. I’m curious about other people’s thought on slam poetry/ if they have considered doing it.
I’ve never been a big fan of slam poetry–it’s always felt more like theater or musical performance to me, though I suppose poetry lends itself to those art forms as well. But if I want to see theater I’ll go see a play, and I’ll go to a concert to see/hear music. It’s not that I don’t appreciate slam poetry–it can be really exciting and cathartic–but rather that I prefer seeing a poem exist on a page, and, like you, reading it in my own space, with my own pace. But I’m glad you shared this video, I enjoyed it a lot. It’s certainly something I could not do.