Prompt #1: The Zeke Russell Prompt. Write about a happy moment in an apocalypse.
Prompt #2: The Valerie Loveland prompt. “Genitals on Pedestals.” Do with that what you will (consensually).
Cantab Feature for Wednesday, October 14, 2015: Corrina Bain
Worcester transplant Corrina Bain from NYC.
Corrina Bain is a gender non-conforming writer, performer, and teaching artist. He is a former member and coach of multiple national-level poetry slam teams. His work has appeared in anthologies and journals such as Muzzle Magazine, PANK, A Face to Meet the Faces, and the Everyman’s Library book Villanelles. His work engages the nuances of the body as a source of identity, pleasure, betrayal, and shame. While deeply rooted in the personal and specific, his vision extends to encompass history, mythology, and politics. No injustice, hypocrisy, or human weakness escapes this poet’s gaze, especially his own. Searching beyond violence, Corrina suggests that there is power in trusting the body’s wisdom, in witnessing suffering, and in speaking what you do not dare to say. Currently, he lives in Brooklyn where he practices roundhouse kicks, twerking, and emergency psychiatric counseling.
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 poetry slam in the 8×8 series will follow. The show is 18+ (ID required) and the cover charge is $3.
Cantab Recap for Wednesday, October 7, 2015
This past Wednesday: we had a killer night at the Cantab with a fabulous spotlight feature and full feature combo! The illustrious Beck Cooper from New Orleans took the stage during our open mic for a bonus set of three poems to close our her short northeast visit; she sold out of books earlier in the tour, but you can grab one through her Paypal link at her personal tumblr.
After our star-studded open mic, Jeremy Radin took the stage for a full feature. This actor, writer, and body-image warrior deconstructed his personal history for us through the foggy lenses of love, Twitter, and chocolate cake. You can get his book online from Write Bloody Publishing: check out Slow Dance with Sasquatch.
The night’s big finale was a cutthroat slam with a remarkable finish: the rarely-seen-slamming feral duo of Emily O’Neill and Cassandra de Alba faced off in the last round. Congratulations to Emily, who took the win, the ten dollars, and the coveted seventh spot in our upcoming Champion of Champions slam.
This Wednesday: IT’S KIND OF A BIG DEAL, GUYS. Corrina Bain will be in town from New York, poeming things to you as they actually are. Plus, it’ll be the very last slam in our 8×8 series before we crown a brand-new champ. See you there!
Cantab Feature for Wednesday, October 7, 2015: Jeremy Radin
L.A. native Jeremy Radin. Photo courtesy PEN Center USA.
Jeremy Radin is a poet and actor living in Los Angeles. His poems have appeared (or are forthcoming) in numerous journals including Union Station, Nailed, Souvenir, and Freezeray. His first book, Slow Dance with Sasquatch, is available from Write Bloody Publishing. You may have seen him on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia or in a restaurant aggressively eating pancakes by himself. Follow him @germyradin.
NOLA poet Beck Cooper. Photo by Christopher Diaz.
Tonight’s show will also feature a spotlight from another touring poet: Beck Cooper.
Beck Cooper is a New Orleans based spoken word artist whose work draws upon personal experience to explore themes of womanhood, queer identity and body positivity. She is a two time member of the Baton Rouge National Slam Team, and her poetry has been featured on Upworthy, Everyday Feminism, and All Def Poetry. Beck ranked within the top twenty poets at both the 2015 Women of the World Poetry Slam in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the 2015 Southern Fried Individual Poetry Competition in Little Rock, Arkansas.
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 poetry slam in the 8×8 series will follow. The show is 18+ (ID required) and the cover charge is $3.
Cantab Recap for Wednesday, September 30, 2015
The first week of the month is always a party at the Boston Poetry Slam, folks: this week we got to enjoy Jared Singer at the Cantab on Wednesday, plus Krysten Hill at Moonlighting on Thursday. Welcome YAWKtober indeed (h/t Mckendy)! Our Cantab slam this week was a doozy, with four poets fighting for the sixth spot in the upcoming Champion of Champions slam later this month: bartender Bobby Crawford eventually got the better of bar patron Nora Meiners, earning himself a ten-dollar tip and a shot at the championship on October 21.
Next Wednesday: we’re back with L.A. poet Jeremy Radin, as well as a sweet spotlight from touring NOLA artist Beck Cooper. We’ll also hold the seventh slam in the current 8×8 series.
Moonlighting: A Queer Open Mic and Reading Series Featuring Krysten Hill on October 1, 2015
This reading is part of our monthly LGBTQ series, Moonlighting. Click here for more information about this recurring show.
The featured reader for October 1, 2015 is Krysten Hill.
UMass Boston MFA poet Krysten Hill.
Krysten Hill is originally from Kansas City, MO, and she currently lives and teaches in Boston, MA. She received her MFA in poetry from UMass Boston. She has featured poetry on stage at The Massachusetts Poetry Festival, Cantab Lounge, U35 Reading Series, Mr. Hip Presents, Literary Firsts, and The Encyclopedia Show: Somerville among others. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Winter Tangerine Review, Muzzle, PANK, apt, Amethyst Arsenic, Damfino Press, ROAR, and Write on the DOT. You can find out more about her work or contact her at KrystenHill.com.
This show in our monthly Thursday LGBTQ series takes place at Fazenda Coffee Roasters, 3710 Washington St. in the Jamaica Plain area of Boston. An open mic begins at approximately 7:00 p.m. and the headliner follows the open mic. The show is all-ages and a $3 donation is requested.
Cantab Feature for Wednesday, September 30, 2015: Jared Singer
NYC poet Jared Singer. Photo by Jonathan Weiskopf.
Jared Singer is an audio engineer and poet who lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. He has represented New York eight times at the national slam level, including two Finals Stage appearances at the National Poetry Slam. He is a five-time New York City Grand Slam Champion and his work has appeared in The Legendary, Union Square Lit Mag, Poets of the Blue Ridge, The Huffington Post, and more. He writes frequently about his favorite things in the world— science, comic books, and love. Jared believes in the healing power of kittens, whiskey, and listing things in groups of three.
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 poetry slam in the 8×8 series will follow. The show is 18+ (ID required) and the cover charge is $3.
Cantab Recap for Wednesday, September 23, 2015
One of the most excellent things about a live show, poetry regulars know, is the feeling that you are watching something unique and unreproducible happen right before your eyes. Last night’s Cantab show might have been one of the year’s best examples: a short, storyline-intense spotlight feature from Claudia Wilson, followed by a full set of old-and-new highly personal from Princess Moon, wherein neither poet had written product for sale but instead the ephemeral experience of their one-time performance. If you were there, you’re lucky enough to have that memory for yourself… If not, you might want to mark your calendar so you don’t miss any of our upcoming can’t-miss shows.
The slam that night was a wild six-poet affair, welcoming two first-time Cantab performers to the melee along with four experienced performers. The final round came down to a bartender vs. bartender death match, culminating in a big win for Adam Stone over Bobby Crawford, earning him $10 more in tip money and an invite back to the Champion of Champions slam on October 21.
Next week: it’s been a long time coming, but we finally have NPS Finals Stage favorite Jared Singer coming to feature in our tiny basement! We’ll also continue our 8×8 slams with the sixth open poetry slam in the series.
Boston Poetry Slam Online