Susie: As requested, here is a blurb on Summer in the City

Amazon Team Wins Superstar Slam

By Susie Davidson

CORRESPONDENT

“The scores were close at last Wednesday’s Amazon Super Slam,” reported founder Ren Jender, “but thanks, in part, to a bravura closing poem (‘The Fifty Foot Woman’) from Amazon team member Lee Wolfer, who in a night of excellent poetry was the only one to garner a ‘10’, the Amazon team won.”

The win makes their record two for two in team slams, which includes their last (and only other) team slam against Montreal and The Cantab, at the Museum Of Fine Arts.

It’s a great accomplishment for Jender, who since 1996, has been heating up Ryles, 212 Hampshire St. in Inman Square, with her All Women Amazon Poetry Slam, on the last Sunday of each month. Never to back down from a good provocation or a good feminist cause, Jender promotes her series as an open forum where any woman (yes, you must be a female, unless you were born male and live as one) can go up and say whatever she pleases without fear, which does not appear to be in Jender’s lexicon anyway. In fact, the series, which was voted Best Place to Meet a Lesbian in 1999 by Boston Magazine, as well as Best of Boston for Poetry Slams and Best Spoken Word Venue by the Phoenix four years in a row, was named for the ancient community of women, which intrinsically included its warriors.

The typical Amazon agenda, which begins at 8 p.m. (sign up is 7:30) and costs $8, includes a poets’ slam; following this is dancing with DJ She-Bang until midnight.

Wednesday’s show, however, was the SuperStar Slam, which featured the winners and runners up of the last four Amazon slams, and which included men. “The Amazons vs. Lizard Lounge vs. Providence,” hosted by Su Miller and featuring Super Slammers Zilla McCue, Lee Wolfer, Shawnee and Amazon Host Ren Jender, showcased Cambridge’s Lizard Lounge Slam Team of Iyeoka Okoawo, Omoizele Okoawo, Adam Stone and Delisile Godeffroy-Taylor as well as the Providence Slam Team of Sage Francis, Bernard Dolan, Jared Paul, and John Powers. Following the event DJ She-Bang held the usual danceathon.

“We had quite a good slam,” said Jender, “with talented performers from all the venues, many of whom were unfamiliar with each other's work - the Amazon audience had also never heard most of the slammers from other venues - so the poetry fell on fresh ears, which isn't always the case with a slam! We had a mixed crowd (some from the regular Amazon audience, some not) of a little under 100 at Ryles, and were able to raise $320 for the Providence and Lizard Lounge Teams (to help defray expenses for their trip to the Nationals in a week and a half).

Jender is a proud promoter of the support and the freedom her venue has lent to its female participants. “I began the Amazon Slam,” she said, “so women would have a place where they could slam without the harassment, sometimes mild, sometimes not, that I had witnessed and experienced at another slam in town (at that time there was only one). I was particularly incensed that women seemed to get grief for including explicit sexual references in their poetry. Some of the men at the bar would infer that women wrote about sex as a come-on, and would make completely unacceptable remarks to slamming women (‘Can I draw you naked sometime? ‘I'll give her an extra point if she comes over here and licks my toes’ were two real life quotes from that time, one to a woman coming off stage, the other from a judge during a slam!). At first, I stuck around trying to change things but finally I decided to do something a little more productive.”

Jender feels that all poets should consider their experiences to be of merit, despite any doubts. She believes that writing, like playing instruments or sports, is merely practice. At her venue, not everything read is expected to be exceptional material, though she advises prospective participants to attend open mikes first if they don’t feel quite ready to slam.

From the start, it was by, and for, women. “We started at a lesbian bar,” she recalled, “so from the beginning most of the slammers and the audience have been queer women. Our audience is actually bigger than a lot of other slams precisely because we're considered a community event. In fact we are one of the longest running continuous events in the Boston women's community, outlasting, I believe, all other nightclub events including regular dance/pick-up scenes.”

The group maintains its independence and its integrity in a co-ed scene, and regardless of the sentiment of the national slam organization. “:Despite of our acclaim as shown in our media awards, Poetry Slam Incorporated (there really is such an animal) refuses to recognize us as a slam that can send a team to the Nationals. They say they won't recognize us until we admit men. We say there are plenty of places in Boston for men to slam; we're all about providing a good space for women. Apparently, this is not a really big priority with the Nationals folks.

“The SuperStar Slam is our chance to participate in a team slam, as the other teams will be doing at the Nationals,” said Jender. “This event is the first in a series of special performance poetry events produced by the Amazon Slam. Be on the lookout for our next event, a showcase of the members of this Amazon team: Ren Jender, Lee Wolfer, Zilla McCue and Shawnee plus a special guest, in October.”

The next regular Amazon Slam will be Sunday, August 25; the last chance for women to qualify for the next Super Slam is in September. For information, call 617-876-9330.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE IN 7/31 CHRONICLE:

Pictures of Ren Jender:

http://www.teenvoices.com/issue11_1/tvspecial_2.html

Amazon’s Superstars To Slam Tonight at Ryles

By Susie Davidson

CORRESPONDENT

Since 1996, Ren Jender’s All Women Amazon Poetry Slam has been heating up Ryles, 212 Hampshire St. in Inman Square, on the last Sunday of each month. Never to back down from a good provocation or a good feminist cause, Jender promotes her series as an open forum where any woman (yes, you must be a female, unless you were born male and live as one) can go up and say whatever she pleases without fear, which does not appear to be in Jender’s lexicon anyway. In fact, the series, which was voted Best Place to Meet a Lesbian in 1999 by Boston Magazine, as well as Best of Boston for Poetry Slams and Best Spoken Word Venue by the Phoenix four years in a row, was named for the ancient community of women, which intrinsically included its warriors.

The typical Amazon agenda, which begins at 8 p.m. (sign up is 7:30) and costs $8, includes a poets’ slam; following this is dancing with DJ She-Bang until midnight.

Tonight, however, a really kicking show is guaranteed, as Amazon will be presenting the SuperStar Slam featuring the winners and runners up of the last four Amazon slams, which appear to include men as well. “The Amazons vs. Lizard Lounge vs. Providence,” hosted by Su Miller and featuring Super Slammers Zilla McCue, Lee Wolfer, Shawnee and Amazon Host Ren Jender, the night will also include Cambridge’s Lizard Lounge Slam Team of Iyeoka Okoawo, Omoizele Okoawo, Adam Stone and Delisile Godeffroy-Taylor as well as the Providence Slam Team of Sage Francis, Bernard Dolan, Jared Paul, and John Powers. Admission will be $10 for this special event, which will also subsequently include the usual DJ She-Bang danceathon.

Jender advocates and encourages personal self worth; she conveys that all poets should consider their experiences to be of merit, despite any doubts. She believes that writing, like playing instruments or sports, is merely practice. At her venue, not everything read is expected to be exceptional material, though she advises prospective participants to attend open mikes first if they don’t feel quite ready to slam.

“The SuperStar Slam is our chance to participate in a team slam, as the other teams will be doing at the Nationals. The last team slam we were in was at The Museum of Fine Arts in 1999 against The Cantab and the Montreal teams, and we won. We hope to repeat history this Wednesday.”

The next Amazon Slam will be Sunday, August 25; the last chance for women to qualify for the next Super Slam is in September. For information, call 617-876-9330; doors open at 7:30 p.m. “Come early to cheer us on!” invites Jender.