Here's a link to an anti-slam essay:
http://www.umbrellajournal.com/fall2...y/DonKunz.html
And here's a link to the poem I wrote in response:
http://www.bigcitylit.com/spring2011...rroll#defender
I haven't attended many slams, and haven't been impressed by most of the slam poems I've heard. Also, I've seen plenty of
Poetry and
New Yorker poems that I regarded as a complete waste of ink and paper. But good stuff rears its head from time to time.