40 Students Perform at Spoken Word Poetry Slam
By Karen Lewis

The Sixth Annual Mendocino County High School Poetry Slam was held on April
24, 2007 at the Mendocino High School Campus. More than 40 high school poets from Willits, Ukiah, Point Arena, Fort Bragg and Mendocino recited original spoken word poetry to a packed house at Matheson Performing Arts Center.

It takes tons of courage to step up to the stage and pour your heart out
to an audience of strangers. And, as poet Emiliano Novarro reminded the
audience, “the hardest thing in life is when the truth is heard.”

These young poets spoke to often-difficult truths, with themes that ranged
from new love, difficult love, searching for love, addiction, outrage, confusion, war, peace, delight, abandonment, and Hillaire England’s ode to "The Seven Wonders of Willits.” Fort Bragg poet Arthur Nivan explored "the human heart without which the mind is nothing.” AJ Crawford from Ukiah presented a thoughtful meditation and contemplation of the world
beyond death, asking the audience, ”What is a century, compared to infinity?”

Spoken word performance often summons the best in word experimentation, so-called language poetry, when poets craft poems that are as much about sound as meaning. Vivid images and surprise twists of thought powered Ariel Monday’s poem, celebrating “purple dioxide hair blowing in the salt wind by the headlands.” A piece by Fort Bragg’s Lauren Miller—full time student and part-time grocery cashier— claimed, “I am the midwife of supermarket mayhem.”

Allegra Fisher of Mendocino wrote in anticipation of next year’s study abroad, in a country where she does not speak the language. “I will have to be in some ways, everything that I’m not.” Danny Maloney’s “Spinning and Spun” speaks to the meth epidemic, “throw a rock and it all crumbles to what’s behind it.” Erin Elo of Fort Bragg delivered an ode to “a grandmother’s lines and creases.”

The spirit of poetry in our community was evident during the entire three hour performance, especially when poets revealed the secrets behind their images, or hinted at their creative process. Point Arena’s Ryan Dougherty admitted, “I wrote this on a bag in a pastry shop in Mendocino.”

While every student who stands on stage is a winner in speaking their truths and reflecting on the complicated thing called life, this year’s slam awarded a cash first prize, generously donated by the Mendocino Study Club. The award went to Erica Schimmel.

The Poetry Slam event was supported by Mendocino County Office of Education, along with coaching by Blake More and Lavender Kent of California Poets in the Schools. High School teachers Michael Riedell, Susan Walz, Curt Berry, Yolanda Highhouse and Carolyn Cooke inspired their students. Judges were Christie Olson-Day from Gallery Books, Maureen Eppstein, Mendocino poet, and Nightsage, Marin County poet.