A brief introduction to Poetry Slams
More Slam basics : A Slam poet's hypothetical journey from a local Slam to the National Poetry Slam
Pt. 1. PRE-WAVES; OR, THE EARLY DAYS. A very quick and slanted pre-Slam history by someone who wasn't there
The pre-Slam history of NYC poetry and Bob Holman, as told by Bob Holman
Getting a roof on it : The reopening of the Nuyorican Poets Café
The birth of a movement : NYC Slam's first year
The vocabulary of Poetry Slam : Part I
Marc Smith (So what!) : The truth about who invented the Poetry Slam
The myth of Slam Poetry : The Poetry Slam certainly exists, but is there such a thing as slam poetry?
Playing nice : The first National Poetry Slam
Slam's tipping point : The end of the Nuyorican's first year
Pt. 2. THE FIRST WAVE (1990-1996). Exploding texts : Slammers take it to the next level
An interview with Maggie Estep, first wave icon
From sea to shining sestina : The United States of Poetry and other poetry on your TV
NYC Slam's first Bible : The creation of Aloud
We're here, we Slam, get used to it : The influence of queer voices in NYC Slam
1994 : The year Slam explodes
Unfair stereotypes of other cities Slams : One nerd's perspective
Rap meets poetry : The birth of Mouth Almighty
First and always : Graduates from NYC poetry Slam's first wave
Pt. 3. SECOND WAVE (1996-2001). May I introduce to you the future : In 1996, Slam transforms
Slam's second Bible : How Slam Nation spread the gospel according to NYC Slam
How to make a living as a Slam poet : Mouth Almighty and the growing importance of the National Poetry Slam
The vocabulary of the Poetry Slam : Part II
We don't do group pieces : Nuyo conquers, then divides
And two become three : Mouth Almighty becomes NYC-Urbana and Nuyo's championship team becomes louderARTS
60 Minutes : The poets Slam back!
Passing the mic : Felice Belle and the changing face of the Nuyorican
What it's like to be there : Nuyorican, NYC-Urbana & louderARTS at the end of the twentieth century
Rules to play by : The unspoken, rumored rules of Slam
Welcome to the AfterFuture : The explosion of the second wave poets
Pt. 4. THIRD WAVE (2001-2007). 2001 : The year everything changed
Words that comfort : The aftermath of 9/11 on the NYC Poetry Slam Community
Thank you and God bless : Def Poetry hits the airwaves and Broadway
Taylor Mali : The man, the myth, the industry
What the heck is going on here? : The Bowery Poetry Club opens (kinda) for business
The rise of self-publishing and the Slam
Slam's biggest non-slamming icon speaks : John S. Hall takes on everything right but mostly wrong with the Slam
Because this generation can speak for itself : The birth of Urban Word and the NYC Teen Slams
Hip-hop and the canon : Slam's influence
NYC Slam grows up : NYC's Slam third wave faces the future
The good, the bad, and the poetry : The impact of Slam, inside and out
The afterword : Or, a completely invented transcription that nonetheless felt so real
New York City Poetry Slam Teams from 1990 to 2007.