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Full Moon Poets host winter poetry slam

ENCINITAS — Stereotypes and commonly held opinions about poetry are hurled out the window when 17 poets join the Full Moon Poets Winter Poetry Slam, in front of five live judges and am enthusiastic audience at the Coast Highway 101 landmark La Paloma Theatre.

The poetry slam will begin at 7 p.m. March 5 at 471 S. Coast Highway 101. Doors open to the audience at 6:45. The event is free to enter and free to attend. Interested poets should arrive early‚ as sign in is 6 p.m. sharp. Poets should be prepared with three original poems (each to be performed in three minutes or less). No props, no costumes and no musical instruments are allowed. Five judges picked at random from the audience will observe and report their scores on a scale of 0 through 10. For a full version of the rules and directions to the event, visit fullmoonpoets.org. For questions or more information visit [email protected].

Organizers advise that the slam is not a warm and fuzzy evening that caters to standards and tastes of the shy, squeamish or sleepy. Content can be adult-oriented, so poets under 18 years of age will need a signed parent permission to participate. As a celebration of First Amendment free speech rights, the La Paloma Slam stands squarely in the middle of every imaginable point of view, said Slam organizers. It’s an unpredictable roller coaster ride starting with 17 hopefuls in the first of three rounds and ends with three finalists (each performing their third poem of the evening). As judges announce scores, the audience interacts with approval or disapproval.

A generous audience donates cash to reward three finalists. Thanks to the following local sponsors, The Coast News, 101 Artists’ Colony, Iced Tea Services of San Diego, Double Take, Moonlight Beach 7-11 and Soulscape.