Will we win? Well, in a way we already did. How? Why? Because we practiced hard all summer. We raised $3600 from 71 people. That's enough to cover all out expenses and more than enough to tell us what we've started to suspect: that we're part of an amazing local creative community and that we have the honor to be a bridge between it and the national slam community. We've also won already because people loved the two new group pieces we created. One is funny and based on my individual piece "Dear Young People." The other is weighty and challenges stereotypes, ending with a rousing call for everyone to break the bonds of whatever stereotypes hold them and "Never, ever apologize for being nude in your own skin!"
This poem, called "Stereotype Unknown," is an adaptation of one team member's piece -- Daniel Summerhill. We found it easier to turn existing pieces into full group pieces than to create new ones from scratch. We did brainstorm several good ideas and do some writing on them, but I think we needed more time and direction to make them fly. Anyway, we have the two pieces and could re-use them next year, if at least one of the same people returns to the team. That is, we're creating a foundation for future teams.
So that's how we won. And I feel very good about a new piece I've developed with the help of my team, "Why I went to my family's July 4th gathering despite calls to boycott the holiday
after
the massacre in Charleston." I've been tinkering with it since the 4th and my team has provided invaluable feedback. I'd like to launch it somewhere in Oakland, either at open of the many themed slams or in one of our actual bouts.
A schedule of bouts. We are in number 13 and number 36.
