POETRY SLAM CONTEST

In Partnership with

ASVC, VC Voices & the Diversity in Culture Festival 

One Book, One Campus

Presents

THE VENTURA COLLEGE

Poetry Slam

with special guests

 Phil Taggart, Ventura County Poet Laureate

 &

Milena Hurtado, performing a Spanish Reading of The Martian

Present your best work

Write a poem based on the theme of Communication. Deliver your poem on stage in 3 minutes or less

CASH PRIZES FOR THE TOP THREE POEMS!!!

First Prize:  $200

Second Prize:  $150

Third Prize:  $100

Honorable Mention:  $50

About the Theme

Develop your poem around the theme of communication/miscommunication.

Communication is an important theme in this semester’s One Book One Campus selection, The Martian. The author, Andy Weir, tells of a man’s adventure in survival after being left alone on Mars. The challenge for him and his rescue team is communication — how can they bridge the 249 million miles of silence and space between earth and Mars?

Deadline

The deadline to submit your work is Sunday, April 10th, by noon. You will be contacted by Sunday, April 10th if your poem is chosen.

Submissions

Submit your entry to VCVoices.org. You’ll find a link to the Poetry Slam on the VC Voices website. Unless you tell us otherwise, all poems will be published on the VC Voices website. With your submission, please indicate why you believe this piece fits in with the theme described above, to be published with your poem.

PLEASE BE SURE TO REGISTER WITH YOUR NAME BEFORE SUBMITTING WORK SO WE CAN CONTACT YOU. 

The Poetry Slam

The Slam begins at 11:00 Thursday, April 14th! If you’re chosen, meet at the stage next to the new Life Science building at 10:30.  If you’re a writer, poet, or enjoy a great performance, come to the slam to share your enthusiasm and support! All are welcome!

Scoring

The poems will be scored on both their written and performative qualities, and if you keep within the strict 3-minute timeframe. Judging will be done by Ventura County’s poet laureate, Phil Taggart; two students from the Writers, Readers, and Poets Club; and two English faculty members. Prizes will be awarded after the slam.