This week, we break down the open mic and slam at the Mercury Cafe, give a preview of the National Poetry Slam, and interview the owner of the Mercury Cafe, Marilyn Megenity! Topics include: Day events, night events, and bouts to see at NPS, history of poetry at the Mercury Cafe, sustainable business practices in the modern age, and the importance of live art to the community at large.

Mile High Poetry Slam Podcast

Episode 18 - Marilyn Megenity and NPS preview

This week, we review the open mic and slam that took place at the Mercury Cafe the past week, and we interview co-founder of the Denver poetry slam, Kate Makkai! Topics include: The early years of Denver poetry slam, 2000-2002 National Poetry Slam, competativeness among poets and what it can do, strategy and momentum within an individual slam, reading poems for scores vs. reading for yourself, and what it took to get Denver to be the perennial powerhouse that it has become.

Episode 17 - Kate Makkai

This week, we review the Minor Disturbance team sendoff show, discuss what happened with the youth slam, bring back the Hard Truth, and interview the hardest hustling poet in Denver, Hakeem Furious! Topics include Cap 6, what it takes to make it as a young poet with promise, Brave New Voices, NPS 2015, IWPS, the future of Slam Nuba, and the current state of Denver poetry.

Episode 16 - Hakeem Furious

This week, we interview co-slam master and current competing member of Slam Nuba, Toluwa! Also, since there was no slam at the Mercury Cafe, I answer some of your questions about slam's past and its people. Topics include: Times when people got boo-ed off stage, the pros and cons of teams who have the same members for multiple years, the pros and cons of being on a slam team, and of course, the great and almighty Cactus!

Episode 15 - Toluwa

This week, we review the annual Slaughterhouse Slam at the Mercury Cafe, and interview the amazing Mary McDonough! The Slaughterhouse Slam is an annual big money slam that has been a staple of Denver poetry since 2006. Mary McDonough is one of only three poets to represent all three Denver teams as a competing member, and is the Host City Chair for the National Poetry Slam in 2017! Topics include: Brave New Voices 2009-2012, the 2013 Mercury Cafe team, the 2014 Slam Nuba team, and NPS 2017 in Denver.

Episode 14 - Mary McDonough

This week, we review the open mic and slam from the Mercury Cafe, and talk some Denver Slam history with national slam champion, one of the founders of Slam Nuba, and one half of the Dynamic Duo, Panama Soweto! Topics include: The 2005 national Denver team, The 2006 championship run, and 2007, the first year of Slam Nuba.

Episode 13 - Panama Soweto

This week, we break down the open mic and slam from the Mercury Cafe, review the feature set from Joy Young, and interview Denver slam legend, Jen Rinaldi! Jen opens up about what lead her to the Mercury Cafe, her 2006 national championship, coaching various teams from 2007-2009, and the 2011 Slam Nuba national championship team that she coached as well. Topics include: What it takes to be a champion from the perspective of a competing member and as a coach, how to build team unity in an organic way, and looking at your own challenges and triumphs in slam through a historical lens.

Episode 12 - Jen Rinaldi

This week, we review the youth slam from 6/11/17, discuss the hard truth of poetry as therapy, and interview Slam legend, Theo "Lucifury" Wilson! Topics include avoiding cliche with familiar themes, 2007, 2011, and 2014 Slam Nuba teams, what it takes to win a national championship, and the relevance of a teddy bear suit, pregnant belly, and deer skull.

Episode 11 - Lucifury

This week, we review the open mic and slam at the Mercury Cafe. We break down the AMAZING features, RJ Walker and Jose Soto from Salt Lake City, and discuss the roles of feminism, research, and silliness in slam with Katherine Grace Scott. Topics include Gender Non-binary, Intersectionality, the 2017 Mercury Cafe slam team, and Persona Poems. 

Episode 10 - Katherine Grace Scott

This week, we review Slam Nuba and the Mercury Cafe, talk a hard truth about losing a venue to gentrification, and Wheeler Light and I fix all the problems with poetry slam! Topics include growing up in the 90's, mental illness, fighting against the patriarchy, gentrification, and feelings vs. nuance.

Episode 9 - Wheeler Light

This week, we debut a new segment in the podcast: The Hard Truth. We also break down the open mic, slam, and feature - Ashe Vernon. Our interview is Mercury Cafe venue champ, Connor Marvin!  Topics include gender identity, depression's role in art, open mic and slam etiquette, the power of the ridiculous, and the Mercury Cafe national slam team.

Episode 8 - Connor Marvin

This week, we review the Minor Disturbance youth slam, and interview a member of all three Denver-Metro area slam teams, Franklin Cruz. Topics include audience interpretation of public art, well-meaning but offensive poets, imagery without thematic substance, collaboration between different artistic communities, and the very bright future of Minor Disturbance.

Episode 7 - Franklin Cruz

This week, we break down the open mic and slam from the Mercury Cafe, discuss when it's time to walk away from slam, I issue a challenge to all the poets out there, and interview the 4-time Slam Nuba champion, Jozer Guerrero. Topic include point of view in a poem, appropriation of identity, criticism of Donald Trump and the Black Experience in film and society, and how to safely perform traumatic or triggering work.

Episode 6 - Jozer

This week, we break down the team selections for both Slam Nuba and the Mercury Cafe, discuss strategy for a team selection slam, and we interview PSI Executive Director, Suzi Q. Smith. Topics include: Reclaimation and assertion of identity, Redemption, Celebration, Survival, and Addiction.

Episode 5 - Suzi Q. Smith

This week, we review the last chance slam at the Mercury Cafe, preview the team selection slams for both Slam Nuba and the Mercury Cafe, and interview local legend, Paulie Lipman. Topics include the up's and down's of touring, being a competing member of a national slam team, some Denver poetry slam history, and where the slam is headed from here.

Episode 4 - Paulie Lipman

We discuss all things Poetry Slam in the Denver metro area. Mercury Cafe, Slam Nuba, Minor Disturbance, Hear Here.

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Mile High Poetry Slam Podcast

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