Treacherous Laughter: The Poetry Slam, Slam Poetry, and the Politics of Resistance.

The article examines the political significance of slam poetry in the U.S. and describes how such sub-alternative poetry offers an alternative to and subversive of the official culture and its orderings. The efforts to create a carnival atmosphere for slam poetry sessions make possible a powerful critique of the status quo since the carnival stands for an escape from the prevailing truth and from the established order. It presents examples of slam poetry that laughs at the performance of race in contemporary U.S. culture.