Anti-Slam
Encyclopedia
Anti-Slam is a movement that was started more than a decade ago by Rev. Jen Miller
at a venue called Collective: Unconscious
,in reaction to the Poetry Slam movement on the Lower East Side
of Manhattan
. The timely event has spawned a movement of non-traditional performance among Lower East Side based performers who refer to themselves as Art Stars
. At regular poetry slams, performers are given a score of 1-10 by a panel of five judges,while at an anti-slam, all participants are given a perfect ten—stand-up, fiction, commentary, poetry, rants, are all welcome.
In the book Words In Your Face: A Guided Tour through Twenty Years of the New York City Poetry Slam, spoken word icon John S. Hall
cited the anti-slam as a valid and inspired response to New York City's notoriously competitive Poetry Slam community. He noted:
On October 17, 2007, Rev. Jen Miller
hosted the final anti-slam at Mo Pitkins House of Satisfaction. It was the open mic's 12th Anniversary.
In 2008, Rev. Jen Miller
revived the Anti-Slam at Bowery Poetry Club
as a monthly event, held on the last Wednesday of each month.
Rev. Jen Miller
Reverend Jen Miller is an American performer, underground movie star, writer, painter, director, preacher, and poet from Manhattan, New York City.- Activities :Miller writes the "Diary of an Art Star" column for Artnet and wrote the "I Did It for...
at a venue called Collective: Unconscious
Collective: Unconscious
Collective:Unconscious is a non-profit corporation, founded in New York City in 1994, and incorporated in 1995. Originally based on Ludlow Street on New York's Lower East Side, in 2004 it relocated to Tribeca until July 2008....
,in reaction to the Poetry Slam movement on the Lower East Side
Lower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. The timely event has spawned a movement of non-traditional performance among Lower East Side based performers who refer to themselves as Art Stars
Art Stars
Art Stars is a group of experimental performers, comedians, poets, storytellers, musicians, and performance artists located in and around New York's Lower East Side. Appropriated by the New York Lower East Side open mic performance scene, the term "Art Star" was first coined by Andy Warhol. As...
. At regular poetry slams, performers are given a score of 1-10 by a panel of five judges,while at an anti-slam, all participants are given a perfect ten—stand-up, fiction, commentary, poetry, rants, are all welcome.
In the book Words In Your Face: A Guided Tour through Twenty Years of the New York City Poetry Slam, spoken word icon John S. Hall
John S. Hall
John S. Hall is an American poet, author, singer and lawyer perhaps best known for his work with King Missile, an avant-garde band that he co-founded in 1986 and has since led in various disparate incarnations....
cited the anti-slam as a valid and inspired response to New York City's notoriously competitive Poetry Slam community. He noted:
On October 17, 2007, Rev. Jen Miller
Rev. Jen Miller
Reverend Jen Miller is an American performer, underground movie star, writer, painter, director, preacher, and poet from Manhattan, New York City.- Activities :Miller writes the "Diary of an Art Star" column for Artnet and wrote the "I Did It for...
hosted the final anti-slam at Mo Pitkins House of Satisfaction. It was the open mic's 12th Anniversary.
In 2008, Rev. Jen Miller
Rev. Jen Miller
Reverend Jen Miller is an American performer, underground movie star, writer, painter, director, preacher, and poet from Manhattan, New York City.- Activities :Miller writes the "Diary of an Art Star" column for Artnet and wrote the "I Did It for...
revived the Anti-Slam at Bowery Poetry Club
Bowery Poetry Club
The Bowery Poetry Club is a New York City poetry performance space founded by Bob Holman in 2002. Located at 308 Bowery, between Bleecker and Houston Streets in Manhattan's East Village, the BPC provides a home base for established and upcoming artists...
as a monthly event, held on the last Wednesday of each month.
External links
- Off Off Broadway.com article on the Anti-Slam
- Downeast Arts Center schedule
- The Church of the Open Mic from The Morning NewsThe Morning News (online magazine)The Morning News is a U.S.-based daily online magazine founded in 1999 by Rosecrans Baldwin and Andrew Womack. It began as an email newsletter and in the fall of 2000 evolved into a news-oriented weblog with a New York focus...
- East Side Arts from Downtown Express
- Slamming Back from Village Voice
- Jan 2002, Reverend Jen's Anti-Slam from the Village Voice