A Rockford poet is bringing her annual poetry slam back to the city in October. She’s now recruiting national poets to take part.
The Gods and Goddesses Poetry Slam began in 2021. This contest brought artists from across the country to Rockford.
Dianna Tyler also known as Goddess Warrior The Poet started the annual competition. She said she couldn’t do it last year due to personal reasons but said it’s important to keep it going.
“Because it's something that I would like to stay consistent with," she said. "It's something that I feel the community of Rockford needs is something that I want to continue to do to bring artists together.”
Tyler says she’s excited to see what cities will be represented. The winner of the first slam will compete again this year.
“He's a slam poet out of Chicago," she said. "Shout out to my boy Ques. I've been in the game with him for man over a decade now he's definitely a dope spitter, who I would love to continue to give him more national exposure.”
Tyler said she’s encouraging poets will need to focus on performing shorter pieces because each round it timed.
“In the slam," she said, "that requires you to, you know, push that pain a little bit, you know, to do a little more work, and to challenge yourself as a writer coming up with those poems that still deliver a strong message but are not as lengthy.”
Submissions are open until all 15 slots are filled. At this point, about a third of the slots are gone. The annual Gods and Goddesses Poetry Slam takes place at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Nordlof Theater, 118 N. Main St. You can register here. A $150 fee is required.
