This is the official blog of Northern Arizona slam poet Christopher Fox Graham. Begun in 2002, and transferred to blogspot in 2006, FoxTheBlog has recorded more than 670,000 hits since 2009. This blog cover's Graham's poetry, the Arizona poetry slam community and offers tips for slam poets from sources around the Internet. Read CFG's full biography here. Looking for just that one poem? You know the one ... click here to find it.

Monday, April 28, 2014

Sedona Poetry Grand Slam is Saturday, June 7

The Sedona Poetry Grand Slam is Saturday, June 7.

The last slam of the regular season will be held Saturday, May 17. Earn your last points poets and compete for the Sedona National Poetry Slam Team.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Gabbi Jue wins the fifth Sedona Poetry Slam of 2014


Round 1
Poet Score Time Penalty Net Score
Verbal Kensington 24.1 1:39 0.0 24.1
Andres Lopez 19.6 3:01 0.0 19.6
Josh Wiss 24.0 2:18 0.0 24.0
James Gould 16.7 2:33 0.0 16.7
Gabbi Jue 24.7 2:26 0.0 24.7
Issac Grambo 24.8 2:23 0.0 24.8
Danny McNulty 15.3 1:34 0.0 15.3
Doc 25.4 3:07 0.0 25.4
Dave Belkeiwitz 22.7 2:44 0.0 22.7
Rowie Shebala 24.4 2:42 0.0 24.4
Ryan Smalley 22.0 2:30 0.0 22.0
Claire Pearson 18.8 2:32 0.0 18.8
Tara Aitkin 16.2 1:24 0.0 16.2
Round 2
Poet Score Time Penalty Net Score
Tara Aitkin 14.6 2:52 0.0 14.6
Claire Pearson 18.2 2:11 0.0 18.2
Ryan Smalley 23.1 2:51 0.0 23.1
Rowie Shebala 24.4 2:22 0.0 24.4
Dave Belkeiwitz 19.4 3:10 0.0 19.4
Doc 21.3 1:43 0.0 21.3
Danny McNulty 17.8 1:36 0.0 17.8
Issac Grambo 24.8 3:15 -0.5 24.3
Gabbi Jue 28.2 2:50 0.0 28.2
James Gould 20.1 2:55 0.0 20.1
Josh Wiss 21.7 2:41 0.0 21.7
Andres Lopez 23.9 3:24 -1.0 22.9
Verbal Kensington 24.5 3:08 0.0 24.5
Round 3
Poet Score Time Penalty Net Score
Gabbi Jue 24.9 2:41 0.0 24.9
Issac Grambo 26.8 2:30 0.0 26.8
Rowie Shebala 28.5 2:44 0.0 28.5
Verbal Kensington 24.9 2:12 0.0 24.9
Doc 25.8 2:56 0.0 25.8
Final
Poet Score


Gabbi Jue 77.8


Rowie Shebala 77.3


Issac Grambo 75.9


Verbal Kensington 73.5


Doc 72.5


Josh Wiss 45.7


Ryan Smalley 45.1


Andres Lopez 42.5


Dave Belkeiwitz 42.1


Claire Pearson 37.0


James Gould 36.8


Danny McNulty 33.1


Tara Aitkin 30.8


Monday, April 21, 2014

Poets from around Arizona will compete in Sedona Poetry Slam on Saturday, April 26

Poets are invited to compete at the fifth Sedona Poetry Slam of 2014, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre, 2030 W. State Route 89A, Suite A-3.


Slam poetry is an art form that allows written page poets to share their work alongside theatrical performers, hip-hop artists and lyricists. While many people may think of poetry as dull and laborious, a poetry slam is like a series of high-energy, three-minute one-person plays.

All poets are welcome to compete for the $75 grand prize and $25 second-place prize. The prize is funded in part by a donation from Verde Valley poetry supporters Jeanne and Jim Freeland.

The slam is the fifth the 2014 season, which will culminate in selection of Sedona's third National Poetry Slam Team, the foursome and alternate who will represent the city at the National Poetry Slam in Oakland, Calif., in August. Poets in the slam come from as far away as Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff, competing against adult poets from Sedona and Cottonwood, college poets from Northern Arizona University, and youth poets from Sedona Red Rock High School's Young Voices Be Heard slam group.

The last slam of the regular season will be held Saturday, May 17. The final Grand Poetry Slam takes place Saturday, June 7, to determine the team.

Slam poets will need three original poems, each lasting no longer than three minutes. No props, costumes nor musical accompaniment are permitted.

All types of poetry are welcome on the stage, from street-wise hip-hop and narrative performance poems, to political rants and introspective confessionals. Any poem is a "slam" poem if performed in a competition. All poets get three minutes per round to entertain their audience with their creativity.

The poets will be judged Olympics-style by five members of the audience selected at random at the beginning of the slam.

Poets who want to compete should purchase a ticket in case the roster is filled before they arrive.

The local poets will share the stage with 300 of the top poets in the United States, Canada and Europe, pouring out their words in a weeklong explosion of expression. Sedona sent its five-poet first team to the 2012 National Poetry Slam in Charlotte, N.C., and its second to the 2013 NPS in Boston and Cambridge, Mass.

The slam will be hosted by Sedona poet Christopher Fox Graham, who represented Northern Arizona on seven FlagSlam National Poetry Slams in 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2012 and 2013. Graham has hosted the Sedona Poetry Slam since 2009.

Tickets are $12.

Contact Graham at foxthepoet@yahoo.com to sign up to slam.

What is Poetry Slam?

Founded in Chicago in 1984 by construction worker Marc Smith, poetry slam is a competitive artistic sport. Poetry slams are judged by five randomly chosen members of the audience who assign numerical value to individual poets' contents and performances. Poetry slam has become an international artistic sport, with more than 100 major poetry slams in the United States, Canada, Australia and Western Europe.