Send us feedback anonymously or via email
Michael: We are jamming two recaps into one during this Thanksgiving holiday season!
Open Mic Highlights 11/19
• Kamran surprised his wife (who was in the audience) by covering “Wedding Song” by Bob Dylan. (“Straight men take notes!” – Myles, who was hosting after Kamran left the stage)
• “The Large Hadron Collider has no date tonight…neither does God” – Tyrone
• “The bouncer at the bar tells me I am smaller each time he sees me” – from Jennifer Martinez’s showstopping new body image/perception poem
• “Masculinity peaks in the sword you never draw” – Frank M
• “Writing is lying and editing is making it true” – Bobby Crawford
• Will S’s wild vision of riding the 4:30 bus to Saugus and meeting Jesus, and then accompanying Jesus as he trashes a Trump supporters’ house
• “My love language is…language” – Jenna B on how difficult it is to put things in words sometimes
• Amy’s “What if I died with a Diva cup in”
Open Mic Recap 11/26
Myles: T’was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and all through the basement poetry rang and food abounded! Our community donated two bags of non-perishable food to the Harvard Square Community Fridge and gathered for a very sweet extended open mic. We got to hear the full, uncut version of Bailey Magpie’s therapist poem, regular TJ and host Myles danced on thin ice with some prose, and new regular Tyrone Walden coined the phrase “getting Waldenized” after another rhythmic stand-up-inspired off-the-dome piece. The most interesting part of the night, though, was how many new faces we saw on what is usually a slow night of predominantly regulars. We hope this wasn’t just a holiday season tryst and that these new readers come back soon!
Feature 11/19
Michael: Local Boston poetry legend Cole Rodriguez was our feature on 11/19! Cole performed a powerful set of almost all-memorized poems, with incredible flow and charisma that you may have not noticed the subtle and clever rhymes in nearly every line (until they performed a piece entitled “This poem will not rhyme”!) In honor of Patricia Smith, Cole performed an incredible cover of Patricia’s “Medusa”, and ended the night with a great sexy/naughty piece, despite being a little bit embarrassed that some of their students were in the audience! A great time was had by all!
Coming Up This Wednesday
We will have a feature from Sarah Kersey and an early bird 6:30 workshop by Shelby Coe!
Workshop Description: Looking to design or adapt workshops for youth spaces? In this reflective workshop, we will reflect on our past & present learning experiences and discuss creating community and safe space for young poets. Participants will leave with strategies to create inclusive, engaging programming for poets of all ages!
Feature Bio: Sarah Kersey is a poet and x-ray technologist. Originally from New Jersey, she has called Boston home since 2023. Her debut collection Residence Time was published last October with Newfound. Fellow poet Taneum Bambrick said of their collection: “Residence Time, begins in origin and sinks into realities that operate like dreams. This speaker remarks on the sonic beauty of the word ‘diaspora,’ asking ‘how many iambs did it take to cross the sea?’ Kersey’s forms snap apart, square, and seep—each poem scrambles excitedly, expansive like a midnight conversation between beloveds hidden under a sheet. I will turn to this poet, always, for how they trace the tangles between past and present, for how they obsess over the question of what permanence means.”In 2025, it was named a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Book Award–Medal Provocateur. Their work has appeared in The Rumpus, SWWIM, Hobart, The Account Magazine, Columbia Journal, and elsewhere. Sarah is a Tin House Workshop alum.
Workshopper Bio: Shelby Coe is a spoken word artist, educator and proud alum of the Disney College Program. She is a two-time recipient of the Transcendent Coaches Award at MassPoetry’s Write Here, Write Now, Speak Loud Youth Poetry Festival out of Boston. When she is not writing or performing, you can usually find her working with her award winning youth slam team out of Lowell, Massachusetts or learning Taylor Swift songs on the ukelele. Follow her on @shelbycoepoet on Instagram for updates!
See you soon!
– MFG 🚪
Our upcoming features
First timer? Looking for show info? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions!
Sign up for our Newsletter
Boston Poetry Slam Online