After a SMOKING five round no elimination bout on Sunday night, five battered poets rose from the wreckage to take their rightful place in the May 13 finals...Why five, you ask? It's because Craig Nelson, also a Worcester regular and finalist, made the Boston Cantab team last week (YAY CRAIG!!!!), thus withdrawing from contention here. (We'll miss him, but he can visit us all in Seattle, we promise...)

In order of finish, high score to low: Alixa Garcia, Gary Hoare, Jon Wolf, Dave Mac, and Alex Charalambides!!!! Congratulations to all who competed, inlcuding Gwen Ellen Ridder, Debbie Middleton, and Lia Klunk.

Aaron Yamaguchi - master story teller, poet and spoken word craftsmen with a deep heritage in Shigin Poetry ( poet, chanterm and storyteller of the royal court of Japan.) A nationally known award-winning poet (1996 National Haiku Heads to Head Champion, Captain of the 1997 National Chico Slam Poetry Team) who publishes his own works and implements these ancient traditions into new developing digital technology.

A coffeehouse, 8 pumped poets, 7 rounds of linguistic mayhem, 5 critical judges... It's either the next reality-based game show or the Worcester Slam Finals for 2001.

It was a great night at the Java Hut on Sunday, May 13th. The joint was jumping as the poets and their supporters filled the room and the patio out back. Eight poets, the best of the great performance poets Worcester has to offer, gave us their hearts last night. The poets offered us the tried and true and new pieces that tore at the heart, stunned the mind and left the audience thundering their approval.

After the three rounds two of the eight were eliminated. Jon Wolf and Alex Charalambides completed their first season ever of slamming and don't be surprised to hear there names again. They'll be back.

The remaining six competed in another 4 rounds. At the end of the night, only 5 (4 and an alternate) could claim the crown. Dave MacPherson made sixth place, not making the team by a hair.

The team members that Worcester will send to the National Poetry Slam in Seatle are: Tony Brown, Gary Hoare, Seren Divine , and Sou Macmillan. The alternate is Alixa Garcia.

Congratulations to all the competitors on a well fought slam. Thanks to the 5 stout judges who scored 48 poems in 3 hours. Props to Bert, proprietior of the Java Hut, for letting us carry on this silliness each week and Moira, for keeping us supplied with coffee. Finally a round of applause for the audience for their support of the poets and letting the judges know what they liked (and what they didn't).

The team now begins a crueling two and a half training regimen in preparation for the competition in Seattle. We'll be hearing from them over the next couple of months as they compete in practice slams with regional teams. Be sure to come out and support the home team!!!

Each slammer had to read the same poem in both rounds and make it mean something else. (Taylor Mali would love this one, no?)

Eleanor Wilmot kicked butt on this one, reading a first touching and then searingly angry poem about a woman consigned to old age housing... she took both rounds, followed closely by Bill MacMillan recasting his piece "Main South" from its usual fond street symphony for our hometown into a completely different reading of the piece as a jittery musing by a desperately disturbed man... All six poets in the slam did a great job reinterpreting their work. Try it sometime ...you'll like it!

Following the regular open reading the Fortune Cookie Slam took place. An all improv event based on the wisdom found inside the standard ending to a meal of crab rangoon, fried rice and beef + broccoli. 6 competitors battled it out but in the end it was Chrissy who won the $10.

The Worcester Slam team went head-to-head against this year's Lizard Lounge team. The Lizard Lounge team came out on top.

Later that night it was poem retirement night at the Asylum -- an extended open mike with a twist. Poets were asked to read at least one poem of their allotted two that would be retired - either permanently, for an extended period, just for the Java Hut crowd, etc. The intent was to clear the year's palate and get ready for a sensational birth of new poetry -- and the assembled flock didn't disappoint as old favorites went into hibernation and we got a chance to hear why some poets wanted to put some of their tried and true work aside in favor of new growth. This might just become a yearly tradition...

Following the open mic the first qualifying slam for the 2002 Worcester Slam team was held. Eight competitors went 2 rounds before a panel of 5 tough judges. How tough? Three scores started with a 0, as in 0.4 for a low score of the night. Plus we saw the first costume violation of the season. The audience showed there love for the poetry and let the judges know what they thought of the scores. In the end two were crowned the victors for the evening - Daniel and Nina. You can check out all the details on the Slam by clicking the link to the left.

Jose de Gouveia was the feature. His 35 minute set featured some older works from 2 anthologies he edited, his own chapbook Ginsberg is dead. and a number of newer pieces. He also covered the works of a couple of other poets, including Ken Green's House of 95 Windows that had the crowd groaning in their seats.

The slam was small (5 slammers) but interesting as a brand new face stepped to our mike and in his first slam ever took first place! Props to Hunter of Moosup CT! Also qualifying (and ok, I'm really happy for her cause she's been plugging away all season) was Judi.

We also had a short open mic following the slam. Thanks to the folks who stuck around to listen to all the good words. Special welcome to a first time reader on our stage - please come back.

The Poets' Asylum performed a 45 minute set before a standing room only crowd at the newly reopened library at First Night Worcester. Over a dozen regulars performed their work for the gathered. It was a lot of fun.