About this Event
POETRY SLAM (on RYE) FINALS: THE ROAD TO ALBUQUERQUE!
6 Poets. 4 Spots. 1 Team.
The Poetry Slam Finals are here, bringing together six of the top-performing poets from this slam season for one final showdown, but only four (4) will earn the opportunity to represent Central Valley Unified (CVU) as we head to Albuquerque, New Mexico, for national competition!
🎤 BUT FIRST… THE OPEN MIC SLAM!
Before the finalists battle it out, we’re opening the stage to up to SIX poets who want their shot at the mic! Whether you’re a seasoned slammer or stepping onto the stage for the first time, this is your chance to share your words, bring your fire, and experience the energy of competitive spoken word! These open mic poets won’t be competing for a spot on the national team, but they’ll have an opportunity to perform and be part of an incredible night of poetry!
🔥 THEN… THE MAIN EVENT!
Six qualifying poets. Four coveted spots.This portion of the night is a CLOSED SLAM, featuring six poets who have earned their place through their performances throughout the season. Every word matters. Every round counts. And when the night is over, the Central Valley Unified National Slam Team will be formed!
🎤 SPECIAL FEATURE: PAGES!
PAGES MATAM (They/he) is a genderqueer med-school dropout turned award-winning multi-hyphenate who was born nearly 2 months late and been on time ever since . Now, they write timely and timeless work heralding stories and characters who defy the odds. Born and raised in Cameroon, Central Africa then blossomed in the DMV (Piscataway Land), they are a national poetry slam & southern fried champion, pleasure advocate and agent of imagination with almost two decades in arts education, creative programming, and touring as a spokenword artist and burlesque performer. Fluent in four languages, PAGES loves extended metaphors, Mario Kart and fried plantains as much as developing high-concept screenwriting TV & film dramas and poetry touching on themes of social justice, blending hood & fantasy, and complicated family dynamics under the foundation of their Queer, Black, and immigrant experience. A proud film-poet, their work is fueled by Toni Morrison’s words: “the function of freedom is to free someone else”, which has lead to fellowships with Callalloo at Brown University, Define American, Artist Disruptors at The Center for Cultural Power, GLAAD Black Queer Creatives, Circle of Confusion Writers Discovery, and SuperSpecial by Amy Aniobi. Additionally, they were a Google x The Guardian Rising Voice, a finalist for the PAFF x John Singleton Short Film Prize and currently have a TV pilot in development with ITV & executive produced by Lily Wachowski (The Matrix) and Anarchist United. Their proof-of-concept short film, SEVEN MINUTES OF HEAVEN? (SuperSpecial) won multiple laurels on the festival circuit and was a 2024 Diversity at Cannes Showcase recipient. They have written, collaborated and performed projects for high-profile clients including Keke Palmer’s KeyTV, MACY’s, TV One, BET, the Kennedy Center, Cisco, FOX Soul, Amazon, All Def Digital, and more. Their second full-length collection of poems, “Living at Baggage Claim” is published by Button Poetry and they are currently based in Los Angeles where they work part-time as a passion-driven teaching artist helming creative writing and healing courses with incarcerated youth and as Lead Story Expert for The Professional Pen screenwriter development agency.
Event venue & nearby stays
The Queen Bean Coffee & Social House, 1126 14th Street, Modesto, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.