Slam Doesn't Always Rule

​I assumed the contract in Mesa was written by one of the slammasters. I still say that I understand why the contract was written, even if I don't agree with its extreme measures.

I also wish ragan luck in starting a new venue in the tri-city area. I hope he finds a community more supportive of his vision of slam than the current venues in Mesa can offer.
Current Mood:  why do I even care?
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Wed, Mar. 2nd, 2005 10:02 pm (local)
sashashhaving just read over the rules at ragan's journal, i gotta say i disagree. i think the list outlined by folks like phil, charles & bill all make a hell of a lot more sense. when you send the message that the community is a bunch of children by making the rules reflect that, the community won't respond positively. in fact, i'd be surprised if, protest or no, there's no team this year because of that list. enforcing a list of reasonable rules with serious consequences is a different tactic entirely.

i like bob & dave, both. i'm offended by the list.
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Wed, Mar. 2nd, 2005 11:00 pm (local)
tabor36I've refrained from partaking in Ragan's LJ because I'm trying to settle this in person with the offended parties. I sent this to the AZ listserve:

I spent a lot of today thinking about what has transpired the in last day or so.

My original intention of letting Cat run the team this year was to for one alleviate some of the pressure of the team from Bob and myself. We do a lot as it is. It would be nice if Bob and I could stick to running are respective venues, and let someone else run the team. I back Cat and her "rules of engagement" for the team because Bob and I gave her that power.

That being stated I do have a duty as a representative of the poets in my community. I do not want to push away people or alienate them. There is obviously some backlash to the rules that Cat came up with. I would like to solve this problem and not start a bridge burning festival. There are too many people I love and respect within this community that I wish could get on the same page.

Please, as a favor to me, could we all meet at sometime and someplace and work this out. It is this kind of drama that keeps people away from slam. As a slammaster I have a duty to bring people in, not push them away.

-dave

p.s. hi Adams
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Thu, Mar. 3rd, 2005 03:41 am (local)
akamuuI apologize for assuming that you and/or Bob made this contract. I had a feeling my support of the contract would go over like a wet fart in white pants, but I felt someone should come out in support of you and Bob, and since you and Bob were part of the few people who actually supported me while I was down there, I decided to write this entry. I should have taken the fact that my LJ was in read-only mode when I originally wrote this as a sign not to post it at all. Oh well, what you gonna do?

I really do hope things work out there. And I'm quite sincere in wishing ragan luck in starting his own venue. It's hard work, especially given what seems to be the prevailing attitude toward organizers in AZ.

May the next Mesa Slam Drama be the need to enlarge The Anthology Cafe in order to fit all the people who want to support your slam.
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Thu, Mar. 3rd, 2005 09:40 am (local)
tabor36Well we are doing O.K. right now. Essenza is back up to about 40 to 50 people a week and $50 for first place. Anthology has picked up and is averaging around 25 people. We have a few new slammers that are working hard to get better and better almost on week to week basis.

The ego department is still annoying. It is a good thing I had four of my wisdom teeth yanked last week. It gives me less teeth to gnash.

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Thu, Mar. 3rd, 2005 12:01 am (local)
spacekadette: The most ironic post everWell it might be one thing if Bob had implemented these rules. He has been behind the Mesa scene for something like 12 years. But, these are the rules of a relative newcomber who's being supported because she was appointed to the this job and no one wants to second-guess that decision. 

But whatever. You're one to talk about supporting the community in Mesa.
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Thu, Mar. 3rd, 2005 03:27 am (local)
akamuu: Re: The most ironic post everActually, I am one to talk. I was completely supportive of Mesa Slam while I was down there. More than anyone except Bob, Bill, and Patrick. I missed one slam during the five months I lived down there, and that was for the final Red Sox game of the season. You only showed up when I begged you to come out and slam, remember?

That said, I was wrong to assume that Bob and David wrote the contract.
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Thu, Mar. 3rd, 2005 11:58 am (local)
spacekadette: Re: The most ironic post ever"Actually, I am one to talk. I was completely supportive of Mesa Slam while I was down there."

Going the slam (even if it's all the time), hosting slams, etc. isn't the same as supporting the slam community - anybody with free time can do that. It takes a level of interpersonal involvement and mutual respect.

I don't always have the free time to devote to attendance or participation, but what I do have is the later - the sense of community. Always. And this is why I'm welcomed back again and again - people know where my heart is, even if my face is not always there. 

This isn't really my fight, as I really wasn't around when you were here, and I don't want to base feelings on hearsay. But I just don't see how you can say you were so supportive of the Mesa slam community. If you were, why is it that you aren't welcome back?