Hello all!  The Grand Slam in July was a blast, and we’ve enjoyed our small break, but it is just about slam season again! Our first Steel City Slam & Open Mic of the competitive year was last week, it was awesome, and we couldn’t be more excited. If you’re reading this and are new to the slam, welcome! Our weird and beloved show operates on the conjunction of art and sports. Competing poets pour their hearts out on stage with art that they have created from the depth of their souls, and then our lovely audience judges respond to that vulnerability with a number from 0.0 to 10.0. Silly, we know, but we love it! If the pressure of competition is a little much, worry not! Those who have pieces to read, but wish not to be judged, can always participate in the open mic section of the show. We hope to see you there. 😉

Joaquin Gotera, one of our newest board members, is a Pittsburgh native and full-time student at the University of Pittsburgh. Part-time, he coaches youth volleyball players.

We have no idea how he ended up on the board. He mostly invited himself.