St. Paul has only had its own slam poetry team for a few years, but the city has already caused a national splash, placing high in the 2008 National Poetry Slam team standings and sending poet 6 is 9 to the finals. Pin some of that success on poet, painter and slam team coach Matthew Rucker, who has almost single-handedly built an outlet for slam poetry in St. Paul while hosting monthly read-and-critique sessions for team slammers. 3-Minute Egg dropped into one of these sessions. See some of these poets and others competing at the next Soap Boxing slam, February 2 at the Artists’ Quarter.