Austin Poetry Slam

TV Story Script

Anchor Intro:

Austin is a city renowned for its diverse and eclectic residents. But what do these varying voices have to say about the world they live in? Marlon Saucedo reports from Spider House Cafe, a place that brings poets from all over town to demonstrate their creative capacities.

First Reporter Track

* sound clip of winning poet (5 seconds) 1:54-1:59
Poet: How colorful the stories we painted together would be if we began to see unique and beauty as synonyms.

Me: They could be the mailman, the waitress, the teacher, the student… They could be the person sitting right next to you at this very moment. American poetry is alive in Austin’s own

Spider House Ballroom every Tuesday evening when the place holds a poetry slam competition for both the experienced and the amateur.

UT student Jess Howard has been performing for over a year and gains inspiration from everyday occurrences.

*sound clip of Jess (8 seconds) 00:34-00:43

Jess: It’s always something someone said, or you see something on the street, little stories… They’re everywhere.

Me: The performers go through three rounds, judged by several audience members in order to win a cash price of $50.

* sound clip of Jomar Valentin (7 seconds) 2:21-2:28

Jomar: To educate and inform and to embolden and empower and encourage a type of free speech that you don’t see anywhere else.

* Stand Up (~10 sec) 00:20-00:30

Me: Although set up as a competition, the poets make it clear, again and again that the purpose of the event is not to quantify this art form but it is to bring this community together.

* sound clip of Tova Charles (10 seconds) 2:22-2:31

Tova: Everybody’s from everywhere, so everybody’s got a different story to tell or everybody’s

got the same story to tell but it’s from different perspectives and you know that you’re not alone in whatever issue that you had.

* sound clip of Asa Johnson (5 seconds) time code: 1:19-1:24

Asa: I know the people here will accept me for who I am.

Me: Executive director of the Austin Poetry Slam group, Danny Strack made it clear that even if the spectacle and the ambience of the event are a form of diversion, the slam has an edge over other forms.

*sound clip of Danny Strack (4 seconds) 2:08-2:12

Danny: You can be entertained anywhere but you can be entertained and thoughtful at the slam.

Me: I’m Marlon Saucedo in Austin.