This Wednesday at the Boston Poetry Slam was one of the more fun AND chill nights we’ve had in a while. The highlights of the open mic included a wide array of topics: OCD and cows (Eli Kane), self-diagnosis (Eren Peterson), infinite sets (Chris Rye), short situationships (first-timer Evelyn), and when Child Protective Services pays a visit to the Charmin Toilet Paper Bears (Katya Zinn). Special shout out to beloved regular Arielle Gray for PASSING THE MASSACHUSETTS BAR EXAM! She then proceeded to read a dark and well-crafted poem about a judge that was (somehow!) written when she was 8-years-old, and followed it up with a modern-day revision of the same said poem.
After the open, it was the long-awaited HAIKU TOURNAMENT, where THIRTEEN POETS went to battle for the top prize of $170, probably the most money we’ve ever awarded to a slam winner. In the first round, March Penn took an early lead with an ongoing suite of haiku about types of orgasm. Six poets advanced to the second round, which included both a DIRTY HAIKU round as well as a EXPERIMENTAL/WTF round. Logan Lopez stood out with a series of baseball-themed haiku, as did Sue Savoy with some dry, cutting humor, but it was March Penn and Aparna Paul who pulled away to the finals. And, wow, what a final round it was! Aparna and March battled through the maximum of 17 (!) head-to-head rounds, with Aparna winning the last three rounds in a row to eke out the 9-8 victory. What a great night!
Final Haiku Standings:
1st Aparna Paul
2nd March Penn
3rd Logan Lopez
4th Sue Savoy
5th Skylar Sweet Cheeks
6th Colin Killick
7th Kat Anderson
8th Nilya Mitchell
9th (tie) M-ZILLA
9th (tie) Lou B
11th C.S. Taylor
12th Siraj Ali
13th Eddy Martinez
This Wednesday, old friend and powerhouse poet KRYSTEN HILL returns to feature!
Krysten Hill is an educator, writer, and performer who has featured at the Massachusetts Poetry Festival, Boston Book Festival, Blacksmith House, Cantab Lounge, Haley House, U35 Reading Series, and other places. She received her MFA in poetry from UMass Boston where she taught for many years. She is the author of How Her Spirit Got Out (Aforementioned Productions, 2016), which received the 2017 Jean Pedrick Chapbook Prize. Her work has been featured in The Academy of American Poets’ Poem-a-Day Series, Poetry Magazine, PANK, Up the Staircase Quarterly, Winter Tangerine Review, and elsewhere. She is recipient of the 2016 St. Botolph Club Foundation Emerging Artist Award, 2020 Mass Cultural Council Poetry Fellowship, and 2023 Vermont Studio Center Residency. She loves writing on all kinds of porches, and wants you to know that you can always sit with her.
See you there!
– MFG 🚪
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