Mile High Poetry Slam Podcast

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.