7th Annual Asheville Wordslam
Poetry is cool—just ask the young poets who will weave metaphors, imagery, slant rhymes and their personal truths into your heart at the 7th annual Asheville Wordslam.
The Asheville Wordslam is a spoken-word competition for middle-school-aged poets. It will be held Friday, April 24, 2015 from 6:30-9 p.m. at the Dr. Wesley Grant Southside center, 285 Livingston Street.
Reigning champion Francine Delaney New School For Children will be challenged by area middle school and community teams hoping to take home the coveted “solid gold” Asheville Wordslam team trophy and win passes to compete in the Spring LEAF Youth Poetry Slam on Saturday, May 9, 2015.
“Asheville Wordslam is all about building a community where youth voices are respected,” says Janet Hurley, co-founder of Asheville Writers in the Schools and Community. “We are committed to holding the stage for younger poets who might not otherwise be heard.”
The poetry competition is part of Asheville Writers in the School’s Stand Against Racism (held in collaboration with the YWCA). Attendees will be invited to participate in creating a community poem during the event. “Don’t worry,” Hurley says. “We’re just asking folks to contribute a line on paper—no performance necessary!”
Devin Jones and Davon Dunbar, who were part of the Asheville Middle School winning team in 2013, will be hosting the evening. Both have continued with their spoken word passion and are regular performers at local and regional poetry slams. Admission to the event is absolutely free.
The Asheville Wordslam event is made possible through a coalition of community partners, including Asheville Writers in the Schools and Community, LEAF in Schools and Streets, and the Dr. Wesley Grant Southside Center.
For more information, visit www.ashevillewritersintheschools.org
