If you hadn’t heard of Craig Nelson or the Northampton Poetry show before last night, your life has now changed for the better! This once-upon-a-time Boston Poetry Slam host shook off a decade of dust right in front of us and took the sold-out room on a wild ride to Paris, the Grand Canyon, and, uh, Worcester… We’re proud to say he’s one of the voices who made this room what it is, and pleased to hear that he’s out and about again: writing, featuring, and booking at his own venue. Next time you find yourself way west of the city, do stop in and say hello.

Our slam that night was a doozy, even though it was the first short of eight performers all year! Seven bloodthirsty poets took the stage for three rounds that were full of surprises, including a hot-shot first-timer taking down a past team finalist, a sacrifice that warmed the room up for several poems that clocked in at less than one minute, and, finally, a big upset in the finals as Truj took down host Sean Patrick Mulroy for the big ten-dollar prize.

Next week: you’ll want to arrive early if you want a spot in the open mic or the slam, because our feature is north-of-the-border local Matthew Richards. One of the sweetest personalities in slam, Matthew is merciless about his word choice and craft. Come see this distinctive and distinguished reader for a fresh perspective on your Thanksgiving holiday. We’ll close the night with the fourth poetry slam in our current 8×8 series.