Cantab Recap for Wednesday, January 21, 2018

It took us two Wednesdays, Cantabbers, but we finally finished up the first round (two poems each from nineteen slammers) of the 2018 Team Selection Slams! Our second heat closed out last night, a strong field taking deeply personal work unto the prelim. After two rounds, the dust cleared to reveal:

1. Neiel Israel 57.1
2. John Pinkham 55.9
3. Anna Binkovitz 55.2
4. RebeccaLynn 55.1
5. Sara Mae 54.9
6. Myles Taylor 54.5

7. Colin Killick
8. Lindsey Michelle
9. José Zepeda
DNS: Lyra de Castro

The top six poets (in bold) are invited to advance to Semi-Finals on February 21. Once again, big ups to to to our two sacrificial poets, Zeke Russell and Sophia Holtz, and some very serious, spotlight-dodging judges: Niva, Sarah, Eric & Sara, Tiffany, and Omar.

Next week: we wish you a happy Black History Month! Get your February started right by sitting down to listen up to one of the very best in the biz, a certain Ohioan Hanif Abdurraqib, who’ll be bringing essay excepts from They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us and some brand.new.poems to the stage. This show will absolutely sell out, so please arrive early (before door time, for instance) if you are hoping for a seat/spot on the open mic/mind blown right open on a Wednesday night.

On February 7, Hanif Abdurraqib will lead a pre-show workshop at the Cantab with limited space. Please email slammaster@bostonpoetryslam.com for details.