Boston Slam Team looking to follow Steps of Champions Boston Celtics & Boston Red Sox at 2008 NPS

Aug. 3, 2008 - PRLog -- The Lizard Lounge Boston Slam Team is readying itself to travel to the National Poetry Slam in Madison, Wisconsin. Five members are traveling to the Midwest for the competition: Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo (2 time national poetry slam individual finalist), Marlon Carey, Nicole L Rodriguez, Anaiis Nai, and Arthur Collins.  Jeff Robinson and Joyce Cunha will serve as the team coach and Co-SlamMasters.  This will be the first year the team is made up of predominately females.  

For Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo, this will be her 9th consecutive year competing nationally and representing a Boston team.  Iyeoka is also a recipient of a National Performance Network/NCCC artist in residency grant, a full time touring performance poet/workshop presenter, a lead vocalist/ front woman for her band the Rock by Funk Tribe and holds a degree as a Massachusetts State registered pharmacist.  When asked why she continues to compete at the National Slam Competition year after year despite her success beyond slam, Iyeoka laughs and jokes that she has no idea how to stop. She continues to explain thoughtfully that “for me it is about being a part of an empowering movement.  Every year this gathering of poets, writers, “slammers” and storytellers energizes me and re-introduces me to the same motion of words that convinced me to put my pharmacy career on part time and shift my art to the next level with the unchanged commitment and endurance I offer everything I believe in.”  

Every member of the Boston team competed in a number of preliminary competitions, an all star semi finals and each was the top five finishers at Slam Finals that determined the 4 competing members and team alternate to represent the Lizard Lounge venue and Boston/Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Five judges selected randomly from the audience at the slam gave them the highest set of scores, based upon a pair of three minutes poems, the same format used in the national competition.

The 5 day competition that includes 76 teams competing in NPS 2008 from Tuesday August 5th- 9th in Madison will pull over 400 poets from around the US and include teams from France and Canada. The Host City Organizers Dasha Kelly and David Hart anticipate that this will be the largest NPS to date. The Madison Concourse Hotel will serve as the host hotel for NPS 2008.

Poetry Slam, Inc. is the official 501(c)(3) non-profit organization charged with overseeing the international coalition of poetry slams.  The mission of Poetry Slam Incorporated (PSI) is to promote the performance and creation of poetry while cultivating literary activities and spoken word events in order to build audience participation, stimulate creativity, awaken minds, foster education, inspire mentoring, encourage artistic statement and engage communities worldwide in the revelry of language.

Past national poetry slammers include company as diverse as actor Saul Williams, award winning author Patricia Smith, Jessica Care Moore, Bryonn Bain, Regie Gibson, muMs (HBO's OZ), and MC Sage Francis.

To keep up with the 2008 Lizard Lounge Slam Team representing the city of Boston and Cambridge at the National Poetry Slam in Madison, Wisconsin log on to Iyeoka’s Facebook Music page for daily updates and reflections on the teams standings and experiences.   Check out http://www.facebook.com/pages/Iyeoka-The-Rock-by-Funk-Tri...  

for more information on Iyeoka and her tour schedule check out website www.iyeoka.com