Rhymers Rejoice! The Poets Return to Austin!

Trust your instincts, faithful readers. That is a disturbance you've sensed in the force. For the second year in a row, the nation's finest and funniest poets plan to pummel Austin with their poesy, prose, puns...and all sorts of other p-words we can't mention here. Starting August 7, National Poetry Slam 2007 will transform Austin into the epicenter of all things slammarific, with five days of knock-down, drag-out, no-holds-barred competition to find out who can best the rest on both an individual and a team basis.

Even now, the great masters of spoken word are making big plans. This Saturday evening, starting at 7pm and continuing into the wee hours of the night, Ruta Maya World Headquarters will be the scene of a fundraising extravaganza that promises to deliver, and we quote, "Improv Artists, Air Guitarists, Real Guitarists, and Bob Barker-Inspired Slammers." Bob Barker-Inspired Slammers? Bad freakin' ass!

The evening's entertainment includes some insanely cool fun. Improv giants Coldtowne Theater are hosting an Improv Slam featuring four local improv troupes. For the Guitar Slam, each participating musician gets three minutes to wow the audience. The air guitar slam is pretty much the same thing, only...no actual guitars will be harmed (though the sensibilities of the real musicians from the previous slam might be a tad offended). Last but not least, the evening tops off with a Price Is Right Slam.

While all this is going down, you'll have the opportunity to bid on silent auction items and raffle packages featuring services and goodies from local companies supporting NPS. You'll also have a chance to pick up your National Poetry Slam weekly passes, including tickets to the individual finals and team finals at the Paramount Theater. Last year the finals sold out, so don't dillydally and blow your chance to see some of the most talented, amazing poets this side of the Atlantic.

All this for the reasonable suggested donation of $10. Or if you want to get all fancy-pants, drop $30 for a VIP pass that nets you free food plus a wristband that's good for entry into all preliminary bouts during NPS '07.

Photo of Da'Shade Moonbeam at NPS 2006 courtesy Timmy Huynh/NPS.

National Poetry Slam Benefit Bash
This Saturday starting at 7pm
Ruta Maya World Headquarters [map]
Suggested donation $10 / VIP Pass $30. All tickets at the door.