The Omaha Healing Arts Center Poetry Slam

Home of the 2003 and 2006 National Poetry Slam semi-finalist Omaha team and 2007 iWPS Finalist Dan Leamen

(and now on MySpace at www.myspace.com/omahahealingartspoetryslam)


(image © Omaha Healing Arts Center)

2nd Saturday of every month

at 1216 Howard in the Old Market beginning at 7:30pm

more great events at the Healing Arts Center

The Healing Arts Center has been a place for great poetry and performance since January of 2002. Doors open at 7, with an open mic (you have up to 4 minutes to read whatever you'd like) starting at 7:30pm and the slam (competition poetry (see below) 3 rounds (meaning you need 3 poems, none longer than 3 minutes)) beginning afterward. Emceed by Matt Mason and Zedeka and featuring many of the nation's finest poets, it's guaranteed better than a night at the movies for only a $7 suggested donation.


Upcoming Schedule:

  • September 13 features your run-of-the-mill, everyday, kickass poetry slam.

  • October 11 features Detroit poet, songwriter, National Poetry Slam champion Blair.

If you'd like to receive monthly show updates, send email to mtmason at novia.net asking for the Poetry Slam emailings.

To qualify for the Omaha National Poetry Slam Team, Individual World Poetry Slam, or World of Women Poetry Slam (the 3 annual Poetry Slam, Inc. events) see the Omaha Tournament Page.

Help the Omaha Poetry Slam bring in great features and send poets to events like the National Poetry Slam by donating: click here to donate.

2008 Slam Season Champions

January 12, 2008
March Team Finals Qualifiers:
1st: Tryst
2nd: Pat McEvoy
3rd: Sam Stecher (declined spot)
4th:Marissa Gill		 February 9, 2008
March Team Finals Qualifiers:
1st: Stacy Fox
2nd: Jarvis
3rd: Ross (declined spot)
4th: Duo Cult

March 8, 2008
Team Omaha Finals

1st: Johnny Tornado
2nd: Jarvis
3rd: Stacy Fox
4th: Steven Evans
5th: Pat McEvoy
6th: Tryst
7th: Ron Horner
8th: Marissa Gill
9th: Sara Lihz
10th: Ross		 April 12, 2008
Anything Goes slam
1st: Marissa Gill
2nd: Sam Chesters
3rd: Sara Lihz
May 10, 2008
Anything Goes slam
1st: David Hufford
2nd: Sara Lihz
3rd: Duo Cult		 June 14, 2008
1st: Zedeka Poindexter
2nd: Tryst the Assassin
3rd: Sam Chesters		 July 12, 2008
1st: Jarvis
2nd: David Frenzel
3rd: Janine Brooks
August 9, 2008
1st: Jarvis
2nd: Austin Rodenbiker
3rd: Deirdre Evans


2007 Slam Season Champions

January 13, 2007
April Team Finals Qualifiers:
1st: Katie F-S
2nd: Ross Hickerson
3rd: Zedeka		 February 10, 2007
April Team Finals Qualifiers:
1st: Dan Leamen (already qualified)
2nd: Tryst
3rd: Ross Hickerson (already qualified)
4th: Steven Evans
5th: Deirdre Evans		 March 10, 2007
April Team Finals Qualifiers:
1st: Ryan Tewell
2nd: Tryst (already qualified)
3rd: Johnny Tornado (already qualified)
4th: Sandra Brennan
5th: Ron Horner

April 14, 2007
Team Omaha Finals

1st: Dan Leamen
2nd: Zedeka (declined spot)
3rd: Katie F-S
4th: Johnny Tornado
5th: Jarvis (declined spot)
6th: Tryst (declined spot)
7th: Ron Horner
8th: Ross		 May 12, 2007
1st: Katie F-S
2nd: Tryst
3rd: Sam Stecher

Improv Poetry Slam
1st: Jen Shafer
Finalists: Heidi Hermanson and Sam Stecher
June 9th, 2007
1st: Ron Horner
2nd: Beth Gillespie
3rd: Steven Evans		 July 14th, 2007
1st: Tryst
2nd: Steven Evans
3rd: Matt Mason		 August 11th, 2007
1st: Jarvis
2nd: Nicholas Bell
3rd: Madeline
September 8th, 2007
1st: Nick Herink
2nd: Melissa Kandido
3rd: Stacy Fox
4th: Danielle Reed		 October 13th, 2007
Team Omaha Qualifiers:
1st: Cameron
2nd: Sara Lihz
3rd: Katie F-S		 November 10, 2007
Team Omaha Qualifiers:
1st: Sara Lihz (already qualified)
2nd: Johnny Tornado
3rd: Steven Evans
4th: Ron Horner

December 8, 2007
IWPS Finals

1st: Sara Lihz
2nd: Johnmark Huscher
3rd: Steven Evans
4th: Cameron

Click for the 2002-6 Slam Season Champions

What's a poetry slam? It's competition poetry; meaning humor, politics, sex, entertainment masquerading as literature, literature masquerading as entertainment. Poets will read, then judges will flash Olympic-style scoring (ranging from 1 to 10) based on the poet's poem as well as performance of the poem to determine who goes on to the next round until there's just one poet left standing as the champion, and only the champion can leave with the Golden Monkey.

The Omaha Healing Arts Slam uses the rules listed at PoetrySlam.com

We're proud to have hosted Buddy Wakefield; Anis Mojgani; Yusef Komunyakaa; Big Poppa E; Ken Arkind and Panama Soweto; Mike McGee; Shane Koyczan; Sean Conlon; Andrea Gibson and Katie Wirsing; the 2006 Normal, IL Poetry Slam Team; Gary Mex Glazner; Detroit's Scott Klein; the 2004, 2005, and 2006 Denver Poetry Slam Teams; Dessa Darling; Jonathan Bryant; the Albuquerque and Des Moines Poetry Slam Teams; Craig Arnold; Luke Warmwater; Charlie Rossiter and more.

Also, closely-affiliated Omaha readings have featured Marc Smith, Eitan Kadosh, Phil West, Anthony R. Miller, Rachel Kann, Morris Stegosaurus, Cat Sanders, Derrick Brown, Hilary Thomas, Bret Axel, and Earl Bates, among others.

For more information or to receive monthly updates on the show, send an email to mtmason at novia.net asking for the Poetry Slam emailings, or go to poetrymenu.com for other info.

Those interested in information on featuring, contact Zedeka Poindexter at

the Poetry Menu
Omaha Healing Arts Center
PoetrySlam.com
PoetrySlam.net		 SlamNation on DVD

Links: MidVerse.com: Matt Mason and Sarah McKinstry-Brown

Last update: August 17, 2008