Soapboxing Interviews: Part 1

Interspersed with the other updates and interviews I’ll be doing over the next little while, you’re going to find interviews I’m conducting with members of the 2009 Soapboxing slam team, about their experiences at the National Poetry Slam. If you somehow missed it, Saint Paul not only brought their “A game” to the National Poetry Slam, by being the first Minnesotan team to make finals stage, but also won the whole event, straight out, against amazing and talented poets from all over the US and a few other countries.

This first interview is our exposition interview. Jenn Sparks served as the Soapboxing slam team’s alternate, and in spite of not competing, was an integral part of the team. Jenn, whose best known poems include a rant against Harrison Ford’s Han Solo character, a heavy poem about dealing with the loss of her mother to cancer as a child, and a one minute poem about etymology and protest, has been part of the twin cities slam scene for quite a while. In this interview, she gives some insight as to what the national slams are like, how they’re run, and some anecdotes as to her specific experiences with the 2009 National Poetry Slam. Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, Jenn Sparks.

(Editor’s note. Yes, I realize the solid screen questions could use some background music. That’ll likely happen in future video-interviews.)
-Cole