The SLAM! Green Room

I hope that at one moment or another there will be some official RRR of the poems which were NOT selected for the second round, so that we may know what went wrong.

There is no "official" statement planned from us on why individual poems didn't advance - only a more general explanation which we've offered before, which is that each of us three judges participate in judging each round. All three of us read ALL of the poems carefully, independently of each other, and make our individual choices, assign point values, share those choices with each other, add up the points, and announce those who advance. Keep in mind that we are three different women, of different ages, from different parts of the US, with different life experiences, etc. So that is part of the mix as well.

I have r/r/r'd all those who didn't advance in this round, and am working on getting to the other 15. I liked all 20 poems, some better than others, and the bottom line is not all of the poems can advance. Only 5 or 6 from each Prelim Round could advance, only 15 could advance in this last Finale Round, only 10 will advance from Finale Round 2 - and only five will be crowned at the end. So obviously not everyone can win, and believe me, after countless SLAMS I've been in on this site, I know that only too well. But it doesn't stop me from writing and entering, and I hope it won't stop you. Heck, you were a finalist in your first SLAM. That's pretty cool!

And maybe there is also a thing about gay poets here?

We have no way of knowing whether or not someone is gay, unless they tell us that. I for one did not know you were gay. That said, let me assure you there is no "thing" about gay poets here. I love all poets, gay and straight, bi and transgendered. I love all poets because they take a blank page and pour their hearts out onto it and share their lives with me - which is so courageous and beautiful!