Perhaps Austin is best epitomized by its most-beloved natural resource, Barton Springs untouched by developers, for the enviro-friendly residents have rallied to . It's a place battle the Concrete Forces every time the site's been threatened. On any given bright, hot August day, scores of people are plunging into the 68-degree waters, enjoying this sacred pocket of nature nestled within an ever-growing, ever-changing modern city.
Or perhaps Austin is best epitomized by the annual SXSW festival. Beginning as a homespun celebration of local music a decade ago, SXSW is now one of the premier arts conferences and showcases in the nation. Musicians, industry players, fans, and even a tight-knit, dedicated throng of poets gather for fours days in March to revel in the fine weather, plentiful beer, and opportunity to be forever altered by any one of the 700 performing acts.
Natural beauty, a population with a deep-rooted appreciation for performance, a compact downtown with numerous venues, and a strong local poetry culture-even if we didn't live in Austin, we'd consider it a perfect place for the National Poetry Slam. What follows are the specifics, as requested in the Slammasters Agenda, for The Case For Austin. As you read, please feel free to fuse our descriptions with our "postcard tour" of Austin, in order to get an idea of what a week in Austin would be like. For those of you just getting out of this week's freak snowstorm, we can assure you we NEVER get snow. EVER. Hey, is that a smile on your face? We thought so. Now we ask you to imagine your team winning the Nationals in Austin. Is that smile getting bigger? We thought so.
From the National Poetry Slam standpoint, there's the all-important geography factor. The NPS has not been south of Portland since Asheville '94, has been east of the Mississippi two of the last three years, and has never been the south west - one of the fastest-growing and developing regions for Slam.
But there's also the intangibles. Austin audiences - and regular folk - are fun and friendly. It's just about the time of the year Austinites are hungry for a good festival. If you've ever wanted to see just how big the Alamo is, it's right down the road in San Antonio. We've got bats. We've got air conditioning everywhere. We've got some of the best bars, best bands, and best Mexican food anywhere. Hordes of creative people, artists, and freaks with in 500 miles of Austin are drawn by its magnetic pull, and either come here for a few years to do inspired and artistic things, or they come here with the intent to only stay a few years - only to find they can't leave. Those poets who have visited may have told you they've had a great time in Austin. But until you're standing in the parking lot of Tamale House #3 on a beautiful summer morning getting full on $2, or until you're standing under the fake moonlight of one of our city's famed light towers, or until you see what it's really like to witness a flock of bats spiral out from under the Congress Avenue bridge at sunset, it's hard to fully understand what a strange, wonderful, coolly enchanted place the capital of Texas is.
Left we have the bat-laden Congress Ave. Bridge, and to
the right is Zilker Park, future site of the '98 East vs. West Softball Game!
Plus, we're itching to host. We promise the same passion we bring to the Slam as well as the hospitality germane to our home city. We're a young slam center, and the three or us make up a young core of planners, yet we're extremely energetic and our entrepreneurial skills are sharp.
Our goal is to make this a slam that serves cities involved. We welcome advice from those older and wiser than us as well as younger and crazier that us. We want to make this a slam everyone remembers fondly and talks about for years afterward.
We thank you for trusting us with the Nationals this year and we promise you great things. See you in August!
Barton Springs 'Swimmin'
Hole."
This site lovingly designed and dutifully maintained by Ernie Cline.
