Puroslam

PuroSlam is the only nationally certified poetry slam operating in San Antonio, Texas, USA. Started in 1999 by Benjamin Ortiz, PuroSlam has earned a national reputation as one of the toughest, roughest, rowdiest poetry slams in the United States, bringing the exciting world of performance poetry to South Texas on a weekly basis. “I’m excited about San Antonio,” says Boston poet Dawn Gabriel in a 2006 article in the San Antonio Current, “because they have a reputation for being the meanest Slam poets around.”

In 1999, Texas native Benjamin Ortiz, living in San Antonio after years spent in Chicago, organized and hosted the first weekly poetry slam in San Antonio, Texas, a poetry reading like no other in the Alamo City. Held at the now defunct Re:Verb music lounge, the first PuroSlam- held on a Tuesday night, May 4, 1999, at 10:30 pm, as it has been every Tuesday since- attracted over 100 rowdy and enthusiastic, and by the end of the evening, very drunk spoken word fans. For the summer months that followed, a variety of poets from across South Texas descended upon the Re:verb every week to battle it out for priceless vinyl and the weekly title of PuroSlam Champion. Attendees filled the chairs, sprawled across the floor, stood on the bar and pool table in an effort to absorb the wisdom of a dozen or more poets every week. Most poets were competent, some were amazing, some truly sucked, but the audience hung with every word, cheering on the well written and heckling the poorly chosen. PuroSlam was not meant to be a poetry reading for the weak at heart, and by the end of its first month in existence, this fact was obvious to all who dared walk its glittered stage.

Unfortunately, PuroSlam's stint at its inaugural venue came to an end one July night when the owners of the Re:Verb decided to capitalise on the booming business brought in by the poetry slam and booked a Boston rock n roll band to share the stage with the poets. When the slam ran long and the band decided to soundcheck in the middle of the poetry, things turned ugly. Poets engaged the band members in heated battle, using words as weapons, and unable to respond eloquently, the drummer threw a drumstick in frustrated response, hitting the emcee in the forehead. Blood was spilled, punches were thrown, and by the time the melee died down, PuroSlam was without a home.

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