Poetry is word music: It’s a language composed of rhythm and melody, and its multiple layers of meaning can help readers see and express things in fresh and unique ways. Northern Santa Barbara County now offers community members more opportunities to recite poetry through open mics at the Solvang Brewing Company, Lucia’s Wine Co. in Orcutt, and the Bookworm bookstore in Santa Maria. In celebration of National Poetry Month, Allan Hancock College is joining the local movement.
Every fall, the English Department at the college celebrates the life of former Hancock English professor and poet, Bob Isaacson. At the Bob Isaacson Poetry Celebration, faculty members, students, and members of the community recite their favorite poems about the natural world and share them at the formal event. There’s typically a similar event held in the spring, and this year the college is doing something a little bit more informal.
On April 29, the college will host its first-ever poetry slam—a gathering of various students performing their favorite poems, written by themselves or others—to an audience and judges that include English professors and fellow English major students. Three performers are crowned victorious based on their unique portrayal of the poems.
Hancock English major, avid writer, and frequent performer Beka Castillo came up with the idea for the slam. Castillo has scribbled in journals and diaries since she was a young girl, and her identity as a writer evolved from strictly non-fiction writing to creative. Her passion for paper transformed from the pen to vocal performances, and the idea for the Hancock College Poetry Slam sprung forth once she realized she could combine the two.
“I’ve also always been a performer, since acting and singing in various theatrical productions. In the winter of 2012, some friends of mine in Santa Maria threw a bit of a poetry slam in their home where people could get together and share their writings, and I decided to give it a try,” Castillo said. “Turns out, I fell in love with something that is the combination of writing and performing—slam poetry.”
Castillo believes slams are important because they evoke feelings of release and catharsis, not only for the people reading the poems, but also for the audience that gets to hear and react.
In order for the poetry slam to become a reality, she needed support from an English Department faculty member. Coincidentally, Kate Adams, an English professor, is trying to expand the activities on campus available for English majors—in particular, for students who take online courses.
“Kate Adams and I came up with the idea for the poetry slam because we’re both poetry nerds, for one thing. And for another, I know that there are writers and dreamers out there on campus that have something that they could benefit from sharing,” Castillo said.
Although the department is a small, tight-knit community with only 14 faculty members and a handful of English majors, Castillo and Adams are hoping events like the Bob Isaacson Poetry Celebration and the upcoming poetry slam will increase the visibility of the department.
“I’m hoping this poetry slam will encourage people to come out with their writings, or encourage them to listen to those of others so that we can all learn from each other. That’s what poetry is about,” Castillo said.
Adams expects a variety of performances—from dramatic recitations of others’ poems to performances of original poems—and depending upon the slam’s success, she hopes to make it an annual spring event.
For English majors like Castillo, poetry slams offer an innovative way to approach life.
“There’s something completely unique about the energy that comes from reading poetry out loud, whether it’s original works or someone’s favorite poem that someone else wrote,” Castillo said. “Poetry is such a powerfully emotive thing, and I think it could totally change the world if people gave it a chance.”
Editorial Intern Jamie Guista is a slammin’ poet. Contact her through Arts Editor Joe Payne at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Apr 23-30, 2015.