Story Slam Gives Opportunity to Share Creative Writing
Ada Lambert | September 20, 2023
Late into the evening this past Monday, a group of Warren Wilson College (WWC) students gathered at the pavilion to watch and perform stories. This event, called the Story Slam, was hosted by the creative writing department with the theme being “Risks”.
Andrew Axelrod, senior, led the event and was inspired by a local slam group called The Moth.
“I really love storytelling and have wanted to put this on for a long time but I haven't gotten around to it till now,” Axelrod said. “I love The Moth and hearing people's stories and this is a place where people can do it and be comfortable, whereas in Asheville when you go, it can feel really hard to go in front of strangers who might not be receptive. It feels like a playground to just play with your story.”
Initially, the event was geared towards performing pieces, but due to a small number of signups, the slam shifted, opening the floor to people who did not prepare something but wanted to share an experience. Gar Watlington, freshman, was one of the few to perform, while also having the opportunity to share another story later in the night.
“I literally just saw a slam event and I went, ‘Yes, me,’” Watlington said. “So I did a slam poem, but then when I heard everyone actually telling stories, I understood what was going on. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I need to try this,’ and I didn't feel judged in any way to do that.”
Sal Ward, a freshman, did not tell a story but was sitting in the audience watching each and every performance.
“I felt like in a really good way that it almost seemed like we were around the campfire sharing stories with friends,” Ward said. “It felt very personal, probably because of the more limited space, but also just like, the stories people were sharing were the kind of stories that you'd share with people that you care about. It felt like a nice little community segment.”
Initially, Axelrod was worried that the event would flop due to technical difficulties.
“Two people signed up beforehand, and then one person told me they couldn't come, and so I was like, “Okay, well, probably nobody's gonna show up,” Axelrod said. “The [original] venue was booked, so at the last minute, I had to move [to the pavilion]. When I was waiting for people to come, my expectation was low.”
Despite the concerns, quite a few students joined over the course of the event. Many had come with no intention to speak but realized that the environment was much more laid back than it seemed initially.
“In the end, it exceeded what I thought it would be because so many people showed up and everybody seemed happy to be here and wanted to share stories,” Axelrod said. “I'm used to spaces where you have to come with like pre-written, polished stories that are pretty firm, and this breaks the seal for a lot of people like, ‘oh, it's not that scary to stand in front of people and tell a story like I'm talking to my friends.’”
If you missed out on this one, do not worry. There will be other events like this coming up. Keep an eye out for emails from the creative writing department if you are interested.