Write from the perspective of someone who wants to squash a revolution.
Cantab Feature for Wednesday, September 4: Jeremy Radin
Jeremy Radin: photograph taken at the old zoo location in Griffith Park.
Jeremy Radin is a poet and actor and eater of fancy cheeseburgers. He was born and raised in California’s San Fernando Valley, where he began performing in musicals at thirteen because he had a lot of energy and Ritalin wasn’t working. Since then, you may have seen him on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, CSI, and many others. As a performance poet, he’s shared the stage with such dynamic talents as Derrick Brown and Mindy Nettifee (as co-host of The Lightbulb Mouth Radio Hour), Anis Mojgani, Beau Sia, Mike Mcgee, Jon Sands, and Amber Tamblyn.
It’s at the crossroads of these two art forms that he has crafted his unique style of performance. Raw, visceral, and experiential, blending honesty and surprising humor, his live readings charge crowds, change rooms, and help people discover a love of poetry they didn’t know was within them. His writing is starkly revealing, tackling personal issues such as loneliness, difficulties with food and body image, family, and being put on medication as a child, all handled with wondrous imagination, wit, and accessibility.
He’s performed poetry at venues throughout the United States and Canada for groups such as Write Bloody Publishing, PEN USA, The Verses Festival, etc. His first book, Slow Dance with Sasquatch (2012), is available from Write Bloody Publishing. He’s also taught poetry workshops at eating disorder treatment centers, group homes, and schools all around Los Angeles.
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 at approximately 10:00. An open slam in the 8×8 series will follow. The show is 18+ (ID required) and the cover charge is $3.
Cantab Recap for Wednesday, August 28
After this year’s Summer of Slam, some of us might have thought we weren’t ready for more big-performance poems quite yet… But Justin Lamb proved any non-believers one hundred percent wrong with an awesomely sincere, entertaining, and pun-filled journey through a cross-up of Boston University and Slam New Orleans sound. After Justin rocked the stage, a jam-packed slam ended up with a super-serious final pairing between Mill City champ Nathan Comstock and SlamCenter star Marshall Gillson. After serving up a poem dedicated to Nathan, Marshall walked away ten dollars richer and ready to try out for the 2014 Boston Poetry Slam team.
Next week: you think you know, but you don’t even know… Actor and Write Bloody poet Jeremy Radin will be in town with his unique, quirky, and impeccably performed work. We’ll also continue with the third slam in this season’s 8×8 series.
Cantab Feature for Wednesday, August 28: Justin Lamb
NPS 2013 champion Justin Lamb. Photo by Robert Warren.
“There is nothing quite like the manic, whacked out, no holds barred poetry of Justin Lamb.” – Wess “Mongo” Jolley, poet and host of the Indiefeed Performance Poetry Podcast
Justin Lamb is an educator, writer and a 2013 National Poetry Slam champion. A three-time member of Team Slam New Orleans (Team SNO), he won the 2012 Slam New Orleans Grand Slam as an individual competitor. In 2013, Justin released a live performance poetry album titled However It Turns Out Is Perfect. As an undergraduate at Boston University, Justin cofounded “Speak for Yourself,” Boston University’s spoken word poetry group. Also, he likes treats. He may be reached through his website, justinpoet.com.
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 at approximately 10:00. An open slam in the 8×8 series will follow. The show is 18+ (ID required) and the cover charge is $3.
Cantab Recap for Wednesday, August 21
What a great Wednesday, Cantab: it was so sweet to have big-stage Sara Brickman fill our small-stage open date this past week; Sara brought us her Nationals-ready performance poems and also some engaging page work as well… And sold out of the three (3) chapbooks she had left. Miss your chance to get one? You can always get to her at her WordPress blog to order a copy.
After Sara’s feature, eight folks still hungry for slam faced off for a major $10 prize: in a final-pairing all-collegiate deathmatch, Christopher Lee-Rodriguez ultimately fell to the still-up-and-coming Bobby Crawford. Bobby qualifies for the 2014 BPS team selection slams and also kicks off the new 8×8 Champion of Champions series.
Next week: we’re back with Justin Lamb, BU grad fresh off his championship with Slam New Orleans at the 2013 National Poetry Slam! We’ll also continue our 8×8 series with another open slam. See you there!
Cantab Feature for August 21, 2013: Sara Brickman (was: Charley Pope)
SCHEDULE CHANGE: Sara Brickman will replace Charley Pope as this week’s feature.
Sarah Brickman showcasing on the 2013 National Poetry Slam Finals stage. Photo by Arthur Pollock of the Boston Herald.
Sara Brickman is an author, performance artist, and the 2011 Seattle Women of the World Poetry Slam Champion. She appeared on the 2013 National Poetry Slam finals stage performing her poem, “Letter from the Water at Guantanamo Bay,” which was selected for the Golden Poem Showcase.
Sara’s booklength manuscript of poems, “Houdini’s Daughter,” has been a three-time finalist in Write Bloody Publishing’s annual manuscript competition. She performs nationwide and was showcased at the 2010 Individual World Poetry Slam Finals. She has been a featured artist at the Bumbershoot Music Festival, Le Poussion Rouge, and countless readings and poetry slams across North America. A member of the 2011, 2012, and 2013 Seattle Poetry Slam teams and three time finalist at the Seattle Grand Slam, Sara works at the literary arts center Richard Hugo House, and has taught poetry, performance, and creative non-fiction at the Bent Writing Insititute, Richard Hugo House, and elsewhere. In 2010 she founded a multimedia performance series in her living room called the Hootenanny, which has showcased nationally known artists such as Mighty Mike Mcgee, Led To Sea, Jon Sands, Karen Finneyfrock, and more. Her work has been published in literary journals such as Bestiary Magazine and Hoarse. She would really enjoy doing the robot with you.
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 at approximately 10:00. An open slam in the 8×8 series will follow. The show is 18+ (ID required) and the cover charge is $3.
Charley Pope is a writer and performer currently living in Seattle, WA. He graduated from Hampshire College in 2011, despite having spent four years avoiding his homework by writing poetry and hanging out at the Cantab Lounge. He now spends the majority of his time making movies and writing short fiction about outer space. A true astronomy geek, Charley is currently producing an animated film entitled “A Stupid Story About the Moon,” which he hopes to have available at his show this August.
Charley was not able to travel east for his feature on this date, but he’s promised to rebook with us soon.
Cantab Returns from National Poetry Slam PLUS: Announcing a Feature from Sarah Brickman
Welcome back from the National Poetry Slam, folks! We are super-proud to have now been the THREE-time host (that’s 1992, 2011, and 2013, for anyone counting) for this awesome event. Special thanks to everyone who came out to the show, and extra-special thanks to everyone who came to support our home team in the preliminary rounds.
We’re back to our regular Wednesday schedule this week, with a SCHEDULE CHANGE to announce: Sara Brickman, one of the showcase poets on the Finals stage at this past week’s National Poetry Slam, will take the stage this Wednesday. Sara replaces Charley Pope in the feature slot (but not in our hearts); Charley was unable to make his way out to this coast this week, but he sends his love and promises to rebook with us soon!
National Poetry Slam: Preliminary Competition on Thursday, August 15, 2013
The National Poetry Slam returns to Boston, August 13-17!
At the opening rounds of the National Poetry Slam, the largest poetry slam in the world, slam teams will take the stage four at a time to battle it out for a chance to advance to semi-finals. Each weeknight represents a double-header poetry slam extravaganza, featuring teams from all over the U.S. and Canada; more than fifty teams will be eliminated after preliminary competition, so these weeknight bouts might be your only chance to catch your favorite national poets on the Boston stages.
BOUTS FOR THURSDAY, AUGUST 15 (both upstairs, 21+, $5)
7:00 p.m. (6:30 doors): Nuyorican (NY) vs. White Plains (NY) vs. Inkwell (TX) vs. Boston-Cantab (MA)
9:00 p.m. (8:30 doors): Austin (TX) vs. louderARTS (NY) vs. Urban Spoken Word (WI) vs. LoserSlam (NJ)
Click here for the complete NPS bout schedule.
LATE SHOWS FOR THURSDAY, AUGUST 15 (21+, $7)
11:00 p.m. (upstairs): Wes Hazard and Amy David host Stand-Up Comedians vs. Funny Poets
11:00 p.m. (downstairs): Social Headquarters (no cover)
Click here for the complete NPS Late Show schedule.
For our home crowd: remember that the Boston Poetry Slam at the Cantab Lounge is the official home venue for the National Poetry Slam this year, and if crowds at the National Poetry Slam back in 2011 are any indication, this show will sell out early every night. Please plan your arrival early, or investigate one of the six other venues hosting National Poetry Slam preliminary bouts this week!
This show is part of the week-long National Poetry Slam and takes place UPSTAIRS at the Cantab Lounge, 738 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge. Doors for the show open at 6:30 with the first slam beginning at 7:00, a second slam at 9:00, and a late-night showcase beginning at 11:00. We will clear the room between shows. The slam shows are $5 and the late-night event will be $7: all are free with a Festival Pass. All shows are 21+ (ID required).
Boston Poetry Slam Online