Many people consider slam poetry to be an edgier, more modern feeling twist on the more traditional poems and poetry styles out there. It takes the classic styles and adds an urban layer, making it a favourite even of people who have no interest in traditional styles of poetry.
As with pretty much anything in life, including more traditional art forms, the way in which the internet has evolved has had a massive impact on slam poetry. But how has this incredibly expressive and modern art form been affected by developments to the way we access the Internet?
Well, arguably the most noticeable and best change is how much easier it has become for poets to share their work. You don't need to have a series of books published or appear on TV performing your poetry for people to hear or read you anymore. Blogging portals such as blogspot.com and wordpress.com mean you can instantly set up a blog at no cost to yourself and start "publishing" your work online quickly and easily. If you have a little budget and a more technical mind, you could purchase a domain and set your own site or blog up. You can record your performance of your poems in audio or even video format and share these, not just on your blog, but on massive websites such as Youtube. Basically, there is a massive global audience for you to potentially tap into. This has resulted in exposure for many unpublished poets.
Another way in which the internet has helped poets in general is through an increased number of web based self publishing houses. A fine example of such is lulu.com, which is a website that allowed you to put together a book in electronic format and they will then print and supply hardback or paperback versions and you can even sell copies through Lulu.
But when it comes to slam poetry specifically, a form that relies heavily upon the performance angle, one of the greatest recent developments is in slam poetry communities in virtual worlds. Second Life, for example, boasts a large number of slam poets performing at virtual spoken word venues at open mic events that take place many times each week. A perfect example is the Lyrical Cafe, a fringe style venue founded by a passionate poet, Kamille Kamala.
As with pretty much anything in life, including more traditional art forms, the way in which the internet has evolved has had a massive impact on slam poetry. But how has this incredibly expressive and modern art form been affected by developments to the way we access the Internet?
Well, arguably the most noticeable and best change is how much easier it has become for poets to share their work. You don't need to have a series of books published or appear on TV performing your poetry for people to hear or read you anymore. Blogging portals such as blogspot.com and wordpress.com mean you can instantly set up a blog at no cost to yourself and start "publishing" your work online quickly and easily. If you have a little budget and a more technical mind, you could purchase a domain and set your own site or blog up. You can record your performance of your poems in audio or even video format and share these, not just on your blog, but on massive websites such as Youtube. Basically, there is a massive global audience for you to potentially tap into. This has resulted in exposure for many unpublished poets.
Another way in which the internet has helped poets in general is through an increased number of web based self publishing houses. A fine example of such is lulu.com, which is a website that allowed you to put together a book in electronic format and they will then print and supply hardback or paperback versions and you can even sell copies through Lulu.
But when it comes to slam poetry specifically, a form that relies heavily upon the performance angle, one of the greatest recent developments is in slam poetry communities in virtual worlds. Second Life, for example, boasts a large number of slam poets performing at virtual spoken word venues at open mic events that take place many times each week. A perfect example is the Lyrical Cafe, a fringe style venue founded by a passionate poet, Kamille Kamala.
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Find out more about slam poetry in Second Life or visit the SL Lyrical Cafe website.
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