The OM Center Poetry Slam

Home of the 2003 and 2006 National Poetry Slam semi-finalist Omaha team and 2007 iWPS Finalist Dan Leamen

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(image © Omaha Healing Arts Center)

2nd Saturday of every month

7:30pm at 1216 Howard in the Old Market

more great events at the Healing Arts Center

The OM Center has been a place for great poetry and performance since January of 2002. Doors open at 7, with an open mic (you have up to 3 minutes to read whatever you'd like) starting at 7:30pm and the poetry slam (competition poetry (see below) 3 rounds (meaning you need 3 poems, none longer than 3 minutes)) beginning afterward. Emceed by Matt Mason and Zedeka and featuring many of the nation's finest poets, it's guaranteed better than a night at the movies for only a $7 suggested donation.

Sign up is limited, so to read you must sign up before 7:30. Sign ups will only be allowed after 7:30 if there are less than 6 on the open mic list or 8 on the slam list.

Oh my God what a great audience and slam community in Omaha. A reunion with old friends and many new friends. It was one of the most perfect nights of my life as slam papa. Matt & Sarah and their group nurtured one the best slam family tribes to date... The old man was holding back tears of joy all night. I'll be back, Omaha!
–Marc Smith (from his March, 2010 Facebook status (used with Slam Papi permission))


Upcoming Schedule:

  • August 14: Is an audience participation slam... that means the return of the 100 plastic balls. Poets, bring your poems, slam rules apply for YOU... but the audience is allowed to pelt you with plastic balls. Why? Just because.

  • September 11: tonight's feature is Wonder Dave. Wonder Dave is a writer and performer based in Minneapolis. Dave is the co-slam master of SlamMN and the poet laughette of the Monday Night Comedy Show.

The OM Slam thanks The Nebraska Writers Collective and the Lincoln Poetry Slam for help booking our features.


If you'd like to receive monthly show updates, send email to mtmason at novia.net asking for the Poetry Slam emailings.

To qualify for the OM Center Poetry Slam Team, Individual World Poetry Slam, or World of Women Poetry Slam (the 3 annual Poetry Slam, Inc. events) see the Omaha Tournament Page.

Help the OM Center Poetry Slam bring in great features and send poets to events like the National Poetry Slam by donating: click here to donate.


2010 Slam Season Champions

January 9, 2010
April Team Finals Qualifiers:
1st: Pat McEvoy
2nd: Ben Wenzl (already qualified)
3rd: Nicholas Bell
4th: Jarvis		 February 13, 2010
April Team Finals Qualifiers:
1st: Cameron
2nd: Prahduct
3rd: Katie F-S		 March 13, 2010
April Team Finals Qualifiers:
1st: Sam Stecher
2nd: Tryst the Assassin
3rd: Ose Oseokoruwa (Declined his spot)
4th: (Tie) Zedeka Poindexter
4th: (Tie) Candace Freilich

April 10, 2010
Omaha Team Finals:

1st: Matt Mason
2nd: Sam Stecher (declined spot)
3rd: Ben Wenzl
4th: Pat McEvoy
5th: Cameron (declined spot)
6th: Tryst The Assassin (declined spot)
7th: Steven Evans (declined spot)
8th: Jarvis
9th: Katie F-S		 May 8, 2010
1st: Paulie Lipman
2nd: Ian D.
3rd: Deirdre Evans		 June 12, 2010
1st: Big Poppa E
2nd: Joaquin Zihuatanejo
3rd: Lennon Simpson
July 10, 2010
1st: Candace Freilich
2nd: Devel Crisp
3rd: Liam




Click for the 2002-9 Slam Season Champions




What's a poetry slam? It's competition poetry; meaning humor, politics, sex, entertainment masquerading as literature, literature masquerading as entertainment. Poets will read, then judges will flash Olympic-style scoring (ranging from 1 to 10) based on the poet's poem as well as performance of the poem to determine who goes on to the next round until there's just one poet left standing as the champion, and only the champion can leave with the Golden Monkey.

The OM Center Poetry Slam uses the rules listed at PoetrySlam.com

We're proud to have hosted slam founder Marc Smith, Marty McConnell, Rachel McKibbens, Roger Bonair-Agard; Buddy Wakefield; Anis Mojgani; Yusef Komunyakaa; Big Poppa E; Ken Arkind and Panama Soweto; Mike McGee; Shane Koyczan; Sean Conlon; Andrea Gibson and Katie Wirsing; the 2006 Normal, IL Poetry Slam Team; Gary Mex Glazner; Detroit's Scott Klein; the 2004, 2005, and 2006 Denver Poetry Slam Teams; Dessa Darling; Jonathan Bryant; the Albuquerque and Des Moines Poetry Slam Teams; Craig Arnold; Luke Warmwater; Charlie Rossiter and more.

For more information or to receive monthly updates on the show, send an email to mtmason at novia.net asking for the Poetry Slam emailings, or go to poetrymenu.com for other info.

Those interested in information on featuring, contact Zedeka Poindexter at znpoindexter@gmail.com.



the Poetry Menu
Omaha Healing Arts Center
PoetrySlam.com
PoetrySlam.net		 SlamNation on DVD

Links: MidVerse.com: Matt Mason and Sarah McKinstry-Brown

Last update: August 12, 2010