Part 1: What Is the Poetry Slam?

1 Digging the Roots of Spoken Word Poetry
Learn the history of spoken word poetry, starting with the Greek poets and dramatists.

2 Soaking in the Spirit of Slam
Take a peek at the community, the spirit of the slam movement, and the people who carry on its tradition.

3 Slam Competition—Rules, Regulations, and Other Formalities
Take a brief primer on the rules and regulations that govern most poetry slam competitions and the way those rules are bent and broken.

Part 2: Becoming a Performance Poet

4 Penning the Powerful Slam Poem
Pick up a truckload of tips and tricks for composing powerful performance poems.

5 From Page to Stage
Try out some professional techniques for overcoming stage fright, establishing an effective rehearsal regime, and delivering a powerful performance.

6 Honing Your Performance Technique
Graduate from absolute beginner to star-status thespian by practicing the techniques and exercises in this chapter.

7 Building a Performance and a Few More Skills
Structure a complete performance from opener to closer and pick up a few more skills along the way.

8 Where and How to Gig Around
From open-mike night at neighborhood venues to paid-professional gigs at the hottest nightclubs, this chapter shows you the where and how of slam poetry.

Part 3 Going Poet Professional

9 Packaging and Promoting Your Performance
Assemble a killer press pack complete with your resume[as], poetry action photos, audio recordings, video clips, and sample poems, and learn how to promote yourself.

10 Taking Your Show on the Road
Everything you need to know to plan a successful tour, schmooze club owners and slam organizers, and make sure you get paid.

11 Old-School Advice: Act Professional
Take your bohemian poet status seriously and learn how to follow proper etiquette at a slam poetry competition.

Part 4: Setting the Stage for Yourself and Others

12 Should I Become A Slammaster?
Ask the right soul-searching questions to find out if you have what it takes to become a slammaster. Do you really want to do it?

13 Scoping Out the Right Venue
Go bar hopping and find the right place to stage your poetry slam. Here you learn what to look for in the ideal venue.

14 All the Slam’s a Stage
Learn the conditions and platforms on which you will be performing and how they will affect your show.

15 Let's Get Technical
Lights, sound, camera, action! Making sure everything works the way it's supposed to before the curtain rises on that really big show.

16 Choosing Your Crew
Don't try this alone. Learn how to draft the right people and assemble an effective, efficient, and enjoyable volunteer staff.

17 Taking Ownership of Your Show
Infuse your show with your personality, and let your vision be the driving force. Here's how.

18 Get the Word Out: Publicizing Your Show
Grab your flyers, your megaphone, and half a dozen friends, and start spreading the word. If you promote it, they will come.

19 It's Showtime!
Opening night, a packed house, and sparks are flying [el] now what? Here you learn everything you need to know to put on a killer show.

20 Expanding Your Market: Special Shows
Broaden your slam vision with ideas for special shows, road trips, and other intriguing slam offerings.

Part 5: We Are Slamily: The Slam Family

21 Take It from the Top: PSI, the National Organization
Join the ever-expanding slam family by becoming a member, volunteering, and attending a few meetings.

22 NPS-IWPS: The National Competitions
Bone up on everything from the history of the nationals to the steps you must take to officially enter your team into the competition.

23 More Eventful Events
Learn about and take advantage of other important, official slam events around the country.

24 Slam the World Over: The Global Community
Take a world tour of slam from the United States to Canada, Germany, Switzerland, France, and even Singapore!

Appendixes:

A: Reference Material
Still hungry for slam? Then check out these additional books and articles.

B: Slammin' Websites
Many poetry slams and individual slam poets across the country and around the world have their own websites. Here are some of the best.

C: SlamSlang
When you encounter a cryptic term or phrase, turn to this SlamSlang glossary to learn what it means. It doesn't cover all the terms, but it comes pretty close.