On our way to St. Paul

(from Top, clockwise: Jason Brazwell, Barbara Fant, William Evans, Kim Brazwell, Rasul Elder)

So, I really like my 2010 Writing Wrongs National Poetry Slam Team. Here are a few reasons why

For starters, I actually think we're a good team
Sometimes, that means nothing. Its possible this year is no exception. But I like our chances for four rounds against anybody and that's a good feeling to have. Does that mean we're the favorite to win our bouts? No. Definitely not. But we're definitely not off the radar either. Last year, we had a mix of newbies and vets. But we were immature. And a little in over our heads. And we had the second best finish for a Columbus Team at Nationals ever. Call me a little more optimistic this year. Regardless, I feel like the teams coming out of Columbus this year have the best chance to make semis since the only time Columbus has made semis (2004 I believe). Fun.

We're versatile. Really versatile
Its nice to feel like we have five poets that are completely different from one another. I've also never been on a team that has had the abundance of funny. Actually, I've only had one teammate prior that had consistently funny work (Spike) and since funny poems are a big weakness for me, its beautiful knowing I have a couple of poets that are more than capable.

We're Old
...but we're hungry. This is bittersweet for me because I actually like having rookies go to Nationals and experiencing it for the first time. But there's also something comforting in knowing that there won't be much learning on the fly or that the nerves won't be peaked up for the moment. The least experienced person on the team has competed at 3 Nationals, 2 WOWPS and an IWPS. So we'll see if experience matters for anything.

Our Grand Slam Champ is one the most talented and humble poets that will be at Nationals
And that's how this team carries itself. We're all confident we're decent poets, because we all put the work in. We've all experienced enough slam success that we don't sweat the small stuff anymore. We don't brag about winning local slams. When we do slam, we always slam against each other, because we're more concerned with good competition than we are of having a week to week title. Did I mention we're hungry? Two of us have been on a National Finals stage as individuals. Only one of us was on that one Columbus semis team of forever ago. We all share some disdain for poets that trumpet superficial accomplishments that haven't actually done anything. This team is good on paper. As a team, we haven't done anything. I think we want more, we're capable of it and we're determined to do it.


All this may translate into a couple of 3rd place finishes in our bouts. Or maybe we kick butt...You can never really know at Nationals. I do know I'll have fun either way along with the fact that our team is focused on performing well and leaving lasting impressions on the audience, whatever they may be.


(and yes, the picture is actually a comic book depiction of the team courtesy of Freestyle Komics)