Cantab Feature for Wednesday, October 5, 2016: Neiel Israel

Neiel Israel, 2016 World Qualifier Winner.

Neiel Israel, 2016 World Qualifier Winner.

Neiel Israel is an internationally acclaimed poet, vocalist, and arts educator who reports that her first time performing a poem on stage came at the Cantab Lounge. Emerging from UMass Boston with a B.A. in English, Neiel quickly distinguished herself as a powerful and lyrical poetic voice in the Boston slam scene. As an international teaching artist, Neiel leads workshops and classes in creative writing for schools, community programs, and colleges, and she is presently the America SCORES Boston Poet in Residence. She was a five-time member of the Lizard Lounge National Poetry Slam Team (2011-2015) as well as the Lizard Lounge Representative for (2011) Women of the World Poetry Slam.

This year, Neiel was the top scorer in the Boston Poetry Team Selection Slams, cementing her spot at the top of the 2016 BPS team. She then went on to take top honors in the two-night, six-poem World Qualifier series to earn herself a chance to represent the Boston Poetry Slam at the 2016 Individual World Poetry Slam in Flagstaff, Ariz. Tonight will be a final fundraising push to send Neiel to the tournament in the American southwest; it’s a $5 cover charge to see her special extended set with no poetry slam tonight.

This show in our weekly Wednesday series takes place at the Cantab Lounge, 738 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge. Doors for the show open at 7:15. The open mic begins at 8:00 and the feature performs an extended set at approximately 10:00. The show is 18+ (ID required) and the cover charge is $5.