I went to The Milk Bar Lounge (2424 E Robinson St, Orlando, Florida 32803) for a Poetry Slam. The slam featured two rounds with 12 poets. The winner gets $50 and a chance to feature at a future slam! The headliners for the halftime spectacular were Blue Room Manifesto, two incredible poets who were be touring through Florida in August!
Four people in the audience were selected as judges. They rated poems from one to ten with decimal points so that there would be no ties in the judging. I enjoy sketching these poetry competitions with poets reading their digital devices before they go on stage. Judging is as much about the performance as well as the impact of the poem. M.C. McWin won the prize on this evening. She had a poem about her boyfriend’s analytical coding mind that was both funny and deeply touching. The dog was the real winner all night, getting affection from every poet in the room.