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march 16, 2016 \ newsweekly - € 0,75 \ read more at www.flanderstoday.eu current affairs \ p2
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Witchy women
Flanders’ annual Care Day gets visitors in the operating rooms and emergency departments of the region’s hospitals and medical clinics
A winding staircase, sepulchral chanting and flaming fingers set the tone for a Bruges exhibition exploring witches in art and artefact
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© Courtesy Flemish Literature Fund
Offbeat and onstage
From left: Slam poets Moya De Feyter, Jee Kast, Max Greyson and Martijn Nelen
Slam poetry steps out of Flanders’ literary shadows Rebecca Benoot More articles by Rebecca \ flanderstoday.eu
Spoken word, most notably slam poetry, has become the form of expression for many Flemish youngsters, and one cultural institution has decided to seize on that popularity to promote literature in schools.
“W
hy is poetry?” reads the first line of one of Max Greyson’s pieces. The unfinished question lingers in his mind as he’s about to step on the stage, and he hesitates to answer it. All the time in the world wouldn’t be enough to “unravel the riddle of why rhythm and sound can make words more powerful than rings and crowns”. At 27, Greyson is one of Flander’s most celebrated slam poets. In case you’ve never heard of it: Slam poetry combines the
written and spoken word, making it a genre that is highly personal and unique. During a poetry slam, the writers compete on stage, performing the texts in their own trademark way. The audience – or the jury, if the competition is of a more formal nature – decides who wins. Some poets, or slammers, put emphasis on the meaning; others focus on rhythm and intonation. And because it’s a performance, body language plays an integral role throughout the show. A good slam poet – some prefer the term street poet – walks a fine line between catchy content and electrifying execution. Unlike traditional poetry, the slam is written directly for the stage. While more accessible and unrestrained, it is, arguably, no less poetic.
“I love the fact that slam poetry blends together several different genres,” says Greyson, who is from Antwerp. “You can mix poetry with hip-hop or cabaret, and it’s all good. It’s a melange of disciplines, and that’s what I love about it – the ‘anything goes’ atmosphere.” No two streets poets are alike, he says. “When you meet fellow slammers, chances are they’ll be doing something completely different when it comes to style or performance. That’s what makes the genre so refreshing.” Another such poet, Carmien Michels, is a veteran of the scene, with multiple awards in her collection, including the Dutch Championship Poetry Slam she won in the Netherlands earlier this year. “Slam poetry is a very competitive genre, full of different styles, voices and people,” she says. continued on page 5