Slam

"His invisible strokes are felt as he stands on the stage in front of me, a mic and a million miles away from me." -- Lauren Bell

Something that few people know about me is that I was, at one point, very involved in the Slam Poetry scene of Arizona. I've tried, from time to time, to get involved with the scene here in Omaha, but things never go exactly the way I intend them to go. I used to be able to cut open my veins and pour myself onto the audience coloring them with the history of my sins and the glory of my intentions. I judge the places I live on the quality of their verse and the passion of their poets. In Arizona people scream on stage and showcase an originality that is staggering, and a strength that has, on more than one occasion forced me to cry.

There is one poet though that I want to share with you. His name is Logan Phillips. Logan Phillips is credited with my passion and obsession with poetry. It is because of him that while living at Arcosanti, I ventured into poetry as an art form and performance method. His words and movement spark life into whatever he speaks in a way that few poets have managed to do in my life. He has been a major influence in my works through the years. Above, you'll find one of his videos. This would be him performing Worth Words, in Tucson, Arizona several years ago. While this isn't the first piece I saw him perform, It is one of the strongest. He delivers every line with conviction and dedication.

I own every single book he's ever put out. I have gone to GREAT lengths to secure them in at least two cases, where I have had to have people in Arizona hunt down his next live performance and buy it for me and mail it halfway across the country. If I ever need to be motivated to do something with my life, I turn to his words and they give me a sense of purpose and remind me of my times in Arizona when my sole purpose was creating art and sharing it with the world.

If you ever get the chance to go to a Poetry Slam in your local area, please do so. They're a wonderful opportunity to seek out some of the best talent in your city, and they have a tendency to delve into adventures, the likes of which make fantastic blogfodder. By the by, I should clarify that by no means do I intend to neglect the poets of Omaha. We have some sensational talent here. The number one poet I've seen perform in the local area would have to be Ben Wenzl, who shocks me and makes my gut hurt with every punch from his lips. He makes me laugh like Eddie Izzard only wishes he could, which is a lot coming from me. To have a positive comparison with Eddie Izzard come from my lips is like being compared to God and finding out you're a little bit better.

I wish I had more time, motivation, or inspiration to produce poetry. As it stands, the scene here in Omaha is staggering and I am out of practice. I would like to get back into the scene though, and I'd love it if more of my friends had the chance to catch the local area slams. The largest, strongest slam is every second-saturday at the Omaha Healing Arts Center in the Omaha Old Market. Should you ever have the desire to go, or to perform, you need only let me know, and I will fall in line and happily do what I can to join you.

Dear blogbuddies, what inspires you when you're feeling sluggish? Where do you look for motivation and guidance? I genuinely want to know. I like finding new methods for lighting a fire under myself. Likewise, I have links to other Logan Phillips videos, and several MP3s, so if you'd like any, I'd hate to take money from Logan, but I'm more than happy to share one or two with you. Let me know, and I'll send it onward.

For more on Logan Phillips, check out his website. [dirtyverbs]