Mostly for myself, notes for later work, but feel free to comment…

bumped to encourage further comments.  i’m working on something; made these notes in a doze.  somewhat prompted by a pair of videos talaam acey has on his myspace.
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Major problems with the current state of much of the poetry used in slams:

— influence of college forensic competitons
— too linear/progresses from A-Z without true surprise
— too general
— too polarized; too prone to reflecting the world through extremes
— the perceived need to teach/educate/exhort
— too immediate, too many topical references w/questionable long-term shelf life
— too influenced by pop culture

lasting value?  unknown for most works but…not hopeful

reflective of larger culture’s concerns/standards without being truly revolutionary in any sense

minimal connection to world beyond the narrow lens