Reflections Ep: 15

“All poetry is written and meant to be read out loud. All poets are in a way spoken word poets.”

Richard J. Girard found his love of spoken word poetry while in Tucson, AZ serving in the air force. For most of his life, Richard was always fascinated with performance art. He loved any way he could tell a story: community theater, open mics, stand up comedy. He loved writing and narrative, which led him to spoken word poetry.

Spoken word is the combination of telling vulnerable stories about yourself and performative arts. It is a very intentional art form.

When Richard arrived in Tampa, Florida he was blown away by the hospitality and acceptance he received from the poetry community. Although difficult to find and somewhat underground, once found, he realized what a large network of people the poetry community was and who they were connected to, even at a national level.

Richard began competing in slam poetry competitions and perfecting his craft. He won some & lost some, but became an excellent slam poet in the process. 

“I spent years losing slam poetry. It's not always the best poet that wins. You may have better writing chops or a better understanding of structure. The judges need to resonate with your work and it’s up to them if someone wins.”

His advice to young slam poets? Be okay with not winning. 

“I wanted to be a poet’s poet and hold my own against other established poets.”

Slam gives you the opportunity to make friends with so many poets. There may be so many people who resonate with your work besides who happens to be judging. You may find work you resonate with too and learn something from watching someone else.

Richard now works as a slam master and coach, helping a new generation of young slammers develop their talents. You can find him teaching and coaching at the poetry collective Growhouse in Tampa or on the air co-hosting the radio show “Poetry Is” on WMNF 88.5FM.