Poetic License: Capturing Fire’s queer poetry slam
Regie Cabico hopes to convert new poetry fans via Capturing Fire festival
“People are often surprised at what poetry is, or what they thought it was, or what it can be,” Regie Cabico says.
Poetry is more than just words alone and Cabico is convinced there’s great untapped audience potential in his primary area of work, poetic performance. Especially so with the performance-based short-form style known as slam, which he asserts is “sort of perfect poetry” with which to entice novices — and maybe even some poetry-averse naysayers.
“This three-minute performance poem and the way it’s presented [in competition] is theater — it’s a form of American political theater,” says Cabico, credited as the first openly gay slam poet when he started competing in the mid-’90s. “It’s art for social change — the ultimate form of that.” Slam poets typically share personal stories and touch on important issues through their original compositions, which are specifically designed to have impact — principally to persuade a panel of judges voting for best poet, but also to inspire or connect with other poets or audience members.
Slam poetry’s ability to inspire and connect — as well as convert novices — will be put to the test next Saturday, June 6, at the fifth Capturing Fire slam. “You’re going to hear trans poets and queer poets hit on issues that are really important,” says Cabico, who organizes and produces the slam as the centerpiece of a three-day poetry festival. A total of 20 poets are expected to compete in two rounds for the 2015 Capturing Fire Champion title at the 14th Street location of Busboys & Poets. Overall, a few hundred poets, most from the U.S., are expected to attend the various weekend events, which include a poetry writing workshop Saturday, June 6, a brunch at the 14th Street restaurant Eatonville on Sunday, June 7, and then, later that same day, several showcases featuring LGBT poets of either African or Asian descent. There are also two open-mike events for free-form spoken-word poetry and two slams, the Saturday main event as well as the smaller Queer Cookie Slam on Friday, June 5, where the focus is primarily on “female-identified voices” — plus homemade cookies baked by local poet Tyler French.
Since its inception in 2010, Capturing Fire is still “the only event of its kind,” and Cabico intends it to be, at root, a kind of refuge and retreat for LGBT poets. “We’re performing in non-queer venues all the time — bars and coffeehouses,” he says. “I just wanted to create a kind of Underground Railroad for queer poets to better know and support each other.”
Capturing Fire: Queer Spoken Word Summit & Slam runs Friday, June 5, through Sunday, June 7, at several venues in the U Street Corner, centered around presenting organization The DC Center for the LGBT Community at 2000 14th St. NW. Event passes are $50 to $75, not including the $30 Sunday Brunch; single tickets to Saturday’s Slam Finals are $20. Call 202-682-2245 or visit capturingfire.org.
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