Rebecca Preston belongs to a competitive subculture, one that has no problem speaking its mind.
She is a slam poet and, after Friday’s poetry slam, her voice rings loud at CU.
The 21-year-old senior BFA sculpture major and BA art history double-major performed three original poems, leading to her victory at CU’s 8th Annual Poetry Slam last Friday. But Preston is no stranger to the CU poetry scene, as she took the title in last year’s slam as well.
Preston said she always had a love of writing, but didn’t discover her passion until she was halfway through high school.
“It wasn’t until I was 15 or 16 when I went to a show up in Denver with my friend Julie and she showed me what [slam] poetry was,” Preston said. “I remember sitting in the back and thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I could totally do this.’”
At the time, Preston had already gained plenty of exposure to theater and the stage, performing from elementary school through high school. She said slam poetry was especially attractive because structured plays restricted her.
“I loved what the stage meant, but I really hated saying and singing things that were not who I was,” Preston said. “That was one of the big things where I made the transition into slam poetry…because I’m saying what I actually believe in versus what these characters believe in.”
Preston said she began developing her slam style in youth teams such as Vox Rising’s youth project and the Denver Minor Disturbance slam team. After paying her dues by competing in the city, she eventually joined the adult Denver Mercury Cafe Poetry Slam Team and competed nationally in the National Poetry Slam Championship. Preston said the tough competition is what makes slam poetry so engaging.
“How many people show up to an open mic and stay the entire time?” Preston said. “When there’s something at risk, there’s a sense of urgency and it makes people write better, it makes people be really good and much more involved. Slam puts a new worth on what your words are.”
As if slamming poetry were a competitive sport, advancement is dependent on slam seasons and beating out other poets to secure spots on teams. For Preston, the CU performance had a different feeling than her other competition experiences.
“The CU slam is kind of more mellow,” Preston said. “It’s more of a community and a supportive atmosphere, where you’re hearing people say their truth and kind of being an audience member. I take any competition I enter into really seriously, but it doesn’t have the same almost terror or pressure if you mess up.”
No matter what contest Preston is in, she said her ultimate goal is to voice her personal truths to the world. Her favorite poem topics usually revolve around her observations of interpersonal relationships.
“All of my poems [at the CU slam] were scenes from and inspired by how we interact with other people,” Preston said. “So my first poem of the night was based off of intimacy within culture…And a lot of that poem was written about how I interact, and how I view my friends interacting in any kind of intimate situation.”
Her other two poems of the night stayed in the same vein, as she discussed her relationship with her sister, as well as the complex dynamic between a performer and her audience. But Preston said her focus used to take a more political approach.
“It was really hard writing giant topic poems about war, about women’s rights, or other things that I think are very important,” Preston said. “I was like, ‘how do I address these things on smaller scales?’ I have to figure out a way to talk about [big topics] neatly and with a level of grace and composure in an intimate setting.”
But how does an award-winning poem come into existence? Like any poet, many of Preston’s attempts will never see the lights of a stage. She said that some of her most emotional pieces are only meant for herself.
“There are definitely poems that are written that are never ever going to be performed,” Preston said. “They are just spill-your-guts-out and they are mean. And I take a look at them and I say, ‘this is a mean part of me that needs to come out.’”
Even when a poem is a contender for performance, Preston undergoes a process of writing and stepping away from a poem before it is complete. One such poem has been under revision for nine months. She also spends time consulting with friends, some of whom are fellow poets. Preston said she only entrusts her poems with a few people before her performance.
“There are a couple friends of mine, like my friend Mary, where I will always call her,” Preston said. “She by far is one the best people, where I can get really good constructive criticism. The good majority of people I don’t like sharing with, because I don’t want to set up an expectation of a poem. It feels weird.”
Beyond competition, Preston said poetry, for her, has both the potential to connect with diverse audiences and be a source of income. Preston said she has been asked to speak at a variety of different events.
“Slam poets are so often hired for socio-policital events, which is an inspiring idea of actually utilizing your voice for a purpose,” Preston said. “I’ve been hired for Take Back the Night events and Day of Silence events, where you break the silence, and going into high schools to perform in front of different people.”
Whether she is intensely competing or just spreading her poetry, slam is ultimately about connecting with an audience through performance. For Preston, her experience in this regard is invaluable.
“I feel like the most personal and political thing that you can do is state your truth and state it in a really loud way,” Preston said. “I couldn’t imagine my life without performing…and without saying these things that I believe in.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Stephanie Riesco at Stephanie.riesco@colorado.edu.
