Cantab Recap for Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Sure, the sun came up on Wednesday morning… Sure, it was a clear and beautiful day in Boston, and, if you want to be grateful, you can be grateful that the weather brought William Evans‘ flight safe and sound to the city of Boston, just in time to bring us solid, sane, important, and personal words from his life growing up and raising a family in Ohio. Each of Will’s pieces opened a small, intense window on an American life, and a voice we desperately needed to hear. Thanks to Will for his patience, kindness, honest, and willingness to book himself with us the day after Election Day. Watch for the manuscript he read from this week in book form next year… And, of course, for his next local show at the Haley House Slam tonight, November 11.

By the way: thanks, too, to our open mic, for their own sweetness and honesty on a tough night. The crowd in the Cantab this Wednesday came out to hold space for each other, and the poets did not disappoint: the mic was filled with sadness and anger, yes, but also moments of genuine laughter and hope. The four slammers who closed the night took their cue from the rest of the show and brought their best to the stage, culminating in a final round between John Pinkham and Meaghan Ford! Congratulations to Meaghan, who took the win and the Hamilton home.

Next week: we continue our run of brilliant Columbus poets with Vernell Bristow, co-founder of the famed Writers’ Block slam and a perennial National Poetry Slam powerhouse. We’ll also throw open the roster for the fourth slam in this final 8×8 series of 2016.