Poetry slams the ArtHaus

The ArtHaus in downtown Decorah was packed on the evening of Oct. 4 as over 50 people crowded inside to witness the first ever ArtHaus Poetry Slam. The popularity of the event was evident as the building overflowed its capacity, forcing people to the streets.

Out in the brisk night, audience members peered through windows, trying to get a better view as local citizens and Luther students cheered on 16 artists who performed poetry ranging from original pieces to famous works.

As people huddled in their seats and sipped cider, the poetry slam began with featured guests Amy Weldon, associate professor of English, and Scott Meyer (‘09). Both Weldon and Meyer performed two seperate pieces, each of which were met with applause.

“I love the feel of this place. It has good energy,” said Meyer. “Everyone gets to do their own thing.”

After their performances, a brief intermission was held, followed by the second event of the night in which other artists presented their original poetry.

“I’ve been writing poetry for three years,” said Andrew Ritter (‘11). When asked why he had chosen to perform, Ritter said, “I have stage fright.”

Chris Bartels (‘11) also performed at the slam. As he stepped onto the stage, Bartels slipped on a pair of glasses and unraveled a piece of paper.

“[I started] writing song lyrics, originally,” said Bartels, commenting on his source of inspiration for poetry.

Once the second part of the slam had finished, another intermission was taken before the third and final event of the night: the dead poet slam. As people waited, chatting amongst themselves, an “applause-o-meter” was set up on stage: a manually operated device with a black wooden arrow that pointed to various “applause” levels, rating from the lowest degree, “hmmm, that’s interesting,” to the highest, “I’m speechless.”

The night continued with poems written by Walt Whitman, Ayn Rand, John Keats, Mary Oliver, James Tate and other famous poets. Performers were judged according to the burst of applause they received, as reflected in the “applause-o-meter.” In the end, the winner rose up to the stage, a Decorah resident by the name of Charlie Langton.

“I like poetry,” said Langton after his final performance. “It’s the same reason everybody else comes here.”

The ArtHaus Poetry Slam ended after prizes, a fake skull and an Emily Dickinson Anthology, were handed out. What had once been a crowded theatre finally emptied for the night, leaving a few people who stayed to converse. Cristen Underwood, manager of the ArtHaus, and Amy Weldon were among those who remained.

“I’m so proud of my students,” Weldon said.

Underwood shared Weldon’s excitement about the night and poetry.

“We both were really passionate about [poetry],” said Underwood.

The event was set up after Underwood contacted Weldon asking her if she wanted to host a poetry slam. . The event was such a success that both hope to hold another in the spring. Until then, the poetry of the Decorah area will have to wait before it may sound once more within the walls of ArtHaus.