Poetry will slam this month as three events showcasing the craft will take place in the local area.
SLaM on RyE, the decade-long Modesto poetry slam, will put on its last show, while Word Pie and California State University, Stanislaus’ Sigma Tau Delta will host their first ever poetry events in Turlock. The shows, featuring local writers and artists, will span the month of April with a mixture of both seasoned and new performers alike.
After ten years of monthly poetry slams, SLaM on RyE will host its very last slam on April 18 at 7:30 p.m. at Prospect Theater Project in Modesto. The event will feature local poet Queen D and will only admit the first 100 people at a $5 admission price. 
According to a Facebook note written by the creator of SLaM on RyE, Sam Pierstorff, the monthly poetry event began with around 35 people attending and maxed out at 150. As a Modesto Junior College English professor, Pierstorff started the monthly poetry slam out of a desire to hear poetry locally. Thus, he took the initiative to create an avenue that started with a crowd containing mostly his MJC students.
The local poetry slam helped foster the talents of local writers who continue to write and spread their artistic works today. According to Pierstorff’s Facebook note, “SLaM on RyE has made lifelong fans of poetry, especially among folks who never liked poetry.”
Evidence of SLaM on RyE’s influence can be seen in the creation of a new local poetry and music event, Word Pie.
According to CSU Stanislaus graduate student Ricardo Friaz, who is getting his Master of Arts in English, Word Pie was inspired by the end of SLaM on RyE. While Friaz was getting more involved in the local music scene, Wesley Riddle, a CSU Stanislaus alumni, was interested in beginning a local poetry scene. From this desire to create a local venue of artistic expression, Word Pie was born.
“Word Pie aspires to no more or less than offering a platform for our local talent to perform,” Friaz said. “We hope to show you don’t have to drive to the Bay, or even Modesto, to be entertained with insightful, original talent.”
On Saturday, April 7, Word Pie will host its first evening of poetry and music at 7 p.m. at Lightly Used Books in Turlock. Word Pie hopes to continue as a monthly music and poetry event.
Additionally, CSU Stanislaus’ very own English Honors Society will host a slam this month. On Wednesday, April 4, Sigma Tau Delta will host its first ever poetry slam in the Event Center. The evening of poetry begins at 6:30 p.m. and is $3 at the door.
“Poetry slams are, at their core, performance based, and a lot of the time audiences are shocked by how easily they are taken in by the stories the poets tell,” said Christine Chesko (senior, English), president of Sigma Tau Delta. “Poetry slams are exciting events, and they offer the chance for the audience and performer to directly interact.”
The event will award first and second place winners, as well as offer raffle prizes. For writers daunted by the idea of sharing their work publicly, experience is not a requirement for this slam.
“I would be thrilled if someone who had never read their poetry publicly before got the courage to stand up and read their work,” Chesko said.
According to Chesko, poets will get a three minute time limit where they will have the chance to read one poem. The top five contenders will move on to the second round from which the winners will be chosen.
For more information about SLaM on RyE’s last poetry slam, Word Pie’s first evening of poetry and music, and Sigma Tau Delta’s poetry slam, look for their pages on Facebook.