Tonight was the S.F. poetry slam finals, and the performance was just killer. It was fascinating watching it, especially not being one of the performers, and being able to assess what other people were doing right and wrong. A lot of people had great material, but over-performed it (in my humble opinion, of course, what do I know, I've only been going for three weeks), and others had great performance but weak material. Of course, the best combined great material and great performance, and my personal favorite of the night also ended up being one of the four winners (picked to go to Nationals), Eric Ott. An absolutely rock-stomping heart-thumping killer poem.
I don't care how much weak poetry I've sat through in the last couple of weeks (and there's definitely been some painful stuff) -- these slams are restoring my faith in poetry, in what poetry can accomplish, in the ways in which it can speak directly and succinctly to the heart.
Okay, I had to pause and go change into my pj's because I was freezing. Better now. Amazing how one glass of wine can depress your body chemistry...
Now I'm chomping on nice hot curry (chicken saag, yum), and feeling much warmer. I will pause and read a little while I eat (as it is difficult to type and eat at the same time), but I will probably return as I am still hyped.
Ah, curry. I'm back, and starting to feeling tired. But I do want to write something before I sleep -- the other great benefit of the slams is that they make me want to write poetry. :-) (Okay, *I* think it's a great benefit, even if some of you may not agree).
Hmm...wrote another family poem, "Pre-Med". Sent it out to readers list. Waffling about whether to post it, so I'm asking the South Asians among the readers to read the poem and give me a recommendation on it. Thanks.
Okay, yawning huge yawns. G'night all.