Even though the judges are not supposed to be poets or know poetry, I have
been approached to judge slams several times. I don't like to do it because
I don't like the idea of putting poets in some kind of competition with each
other and scoring them like they're on the Gong Show or something--which I
suppose is partly the aim of the creators of the Slam--But tho its a dirty
job, somebody's got to do it, and why not someone who really knows.
In an attempt to "humanize" the Slam experience when acting as a judge grade
on tenths of a point, starting out with 7.0-7.1 etc. on up to 10.0. I figure
anybody who has put his or herself in this situation deserves at least a 7,
and even though they lose they don't have to be humiliated by having a 1 or
2 (again this is from my personal experience).
One problem with the Slam I see is that a lot of poets ,
either because of shyness or because they flat out don't fancy submitting
themselves to the indignity of being ranked by the great unwashed (isn't
that why a lot of us write in the first place), so the Slam audiences will
not get to experience a lot of good poets and poetry.
CH
>Frank said, after a nice recounting of the smal he attanded:
> >Does that help, Doug?
>
>Sure does, Frank, thanks.
>
>Not my cup of tea, but taking both Chris's & your comments into account,
>why sure, let's see where some of them go eventually...
>
>
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