Eight will compete, but only four will continue on to the national competition in Oakland, California, this August. If you don’t associate “poetry” with “nerve-racking,” you’ve apparently missed the year of Spokane Poetry Slam competitions leading up to this one. But that’s OK — this is the biggest of them all, held at Spokane Poetry Slam’s home at the Bartlett. For the chance to represent Spokane at the National Poetry Slam, the competing poets will perform two rounds judged by five randomly chosen members of the audience.
— Lisa Waananen