Norah Rami, the winner of Best Performance in our Poetry and Spoken Word Competition, thrives on the excitement and adrenaline she feels when she performs poetry for an audience. The seasoned slam poet, who’s been honing her craft since the 6th grade, wowed us with her evocative—and beautifully rhythmic—piece, “What Ancestry DNA Cannot Tell Me”. In our interview with Norah, we find out how she combats her nerves in order to deliver a powerful performance and her tips for penning a piece meant for the stage.
Your Poetry and Spoken Word Competition entry won Best Performance. Had you ever performed a poem before? What was it like to record this piece?
I started performing poetry in 6th grade after a teacher introduced us to a district poetry slam; I was hooked. Before then, I didn’t have an outlet for my creative energy. I’m pretty sure my sister was tired of me performing for her. I ended up being accepted to Meta-Four, our local youth slam poetry team a few days after I turned in my submission. For me, performing in front of a camera is very different than performing in front of people. There’s a sort of excitement and adrenaline associated with performing a poem that I really love.
Did you write this piece with the performance aspect in mind?
When I write performance poetry, the language is a lot simpler. The viewer is only going to watch the performance once, so they won’t be able to dissect each word for a second meaning. You have to be upfront and to the point. I feel that writing slam poetry is very similar to a conversation between you and your thoughts; it’s just what comes naturally. When I practice performing my poetry, if I can’t remember a word, I will replace it with another word that resonates with me.
What advice do you have for other writers who might feel self conscious about performing their works?
I’m still nervous about performing my work! But in all honesty, it’s about believing in what you say. If you aren’t passionate, you’re not going to be able to perform your poetry. Own what you have to say! The world needs to hear it. When you slam, you embody your poem. It’s not about the audience, it’s about you and your words.
Who are your writing inspirations?
I was inspired to write by my parents. They have played a huge role in empowering me to use my voice. I’m artistically inspired by Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and the poet Rabindranath Tagore. Both Achebe and Tagore use exquisite language to tell heart-wrenching stories. In addition, I also look up to the amazing poets Nikita Gill and Frannie Choi. And finally, Malcolm Gladwell in an amazing non-fiction writer who explores interesting concepts that inspire my content. I love reading different styles of writing: poetry, fiction, non-fiction. They each add to my writing style.