It came and went without a whimper. Without notice, it was here and then gone. There was no celebration. No fan fair (not that anyone could afford that). It was simply business as usual. The Just Poetry Slam celebrated it’s First Year Anniversary in April (April eighth two thousand and five to be exact). I completely forgot about it. At the very least we should pause and reflect on the experience.
Just Poetry, or Jus as I like to call her, started as a conversation between Phaedra Hise (The President of James River Writers) and I at World Cup Coffee House. The then James River Writers Festival wanted to branch into the world of Spoken Word Poetry but didn’t know where to begin. I suggested a Slam because the open mike route may not yield the desired results. Phaedra said great do it. I said listen lady nobody talks to me that way. She quietly paid for the coffee and smiled one of those Revelations describes only a fraction of the torment I will bring upon you smiles and left. So after speaking with a Priest, I started organizing the Just Poetry Slam (no mike, no band, just poetry).
While eating at Café Gutenberg I ran into Gwendolyn Nixon and shared Phaedra and my idea. Gwendolyn said why don’t you do it here (I want it on record that it was her idea). She introduced me to the owners and Café Gutenberg agreed to host our maiden voyage. Steve and the good folks at Café Gutenberg have been our strongest supporters from the start. Believe me, we tested that friendship early on. Our initial slams packed the second floor of Café Gutenberg to capacity. Fearing the heat from the Fire Marshall (pun intended) it quickly became clear that we needed more space.
Enter the Firehouse. While enjoying a lovely evening dining with friends at Café Gutenberg, Harry Kollatz (Firehouse Theatre) was kidnapped and forced to Judge in our 2004 Grand Slam. No doubt suffering from the throws of Stockholm Syndrome, Harry soon proclaimed, “This must be held at the Firehouse, great do it”. Here we go again.
Realizing I was getting in way over my head, I decided to call in the Big Guns. Tracey Johnson. TrayJay and I had worked together on several projects and were good friends. The Just Poetry beast was becoming unwieldy. Tracy knew just how to tame it. And tame it she did. This partnership soon proved to be more of a blessing as she has pulled my fanny out of the fire on more than one occasion.
Once the slam changed locations a band of unlikely super heroes protected our collective interests. Yellowhouse. Justin, Stephanie and the Yellowhouse crew make all the magic happen at the Firehouse each month. Our signs don’t get hung by themselves, the music doesn’t just appear, the set up and breakdown are all thanks to the undying support of Yellowhouse. This is almost unimaginable when you look at all the other projects on their many plates.
We’ve grown, we’ve learned and we’ve shared. Along the way there have been a few poets who have been indispensable from the start; Lilly (the littlest poet with the biggest words), T.J Natole (tenacity and leadership), Loni Jonz (spirit and creativity), Alex Cena (energy), Mars One (inspiration and power), Joe Green (pure talent), Rasual (levity), Victoria Marinelli (life editor) and Gwendolyn Nixon (you really started it all). And to the countless others who share in the building of this beast – Thank you Thank you Thank you.
Last but not least there are two groups who need a round of applause (when you see them just clap). The James River Writers have single handedly renewed my faith in the artistic community. I would like to thank Phaedra and the Board for helping Tracey and I to take the slam from paper to production. And Switch Drinks, Bill Hargis saw our potential from day one and has been there faithfully. So DRINK, THINK, BUY, LIVE SWITCH!
On behalf of Tracey Johnson and myself thank you all. Each and every person who enjoys the slam, each judge who got boo’ed, each person turned away because we were at capacity. Thank you all. Just wait you ain’t seen nothing yet.
-Otherwise Hymn
