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Open Mic Highlights
• The open mic was an open lovefest for our feature tonight, BPS staff member/2023 slam team member/everyone’s friend KAI WALLIN. Multiple members of our community (as well as Kai’s family and friends) showed up tonight on and offered tributes and poems inspired by Kai, who was described MULTIPLE times as one of the loudest beating hearts of our community
• “Even the longest songs need somewhere to breathe” – Shepherd
• “To dust his edges eternally return” – Jack W, who intro-ed this poem by saying “Now that I’m in my 30s I cry about anything/everything”
• Hallie Carton did a found poem based upon their newly completed screenplay, Isaiah read a contrapuntal on Jewishness and the election results from Michigan (“I want our cemeteries empty,”) and youth poetry champion Maria Zaki made her official over-21 debut on the open mic!
• Gel shared two pieces from their 30/30 project on poems from the perspective of Bigfoot (“I am so much a myth that I am beginning to doubt my existence”
• Myles wrote about the video game Stardew Valley, and how in the game gender is a “suggestion” and, mirroring life, time passes by so fast in the game, even as you watch all the progress you characters you achieve
Feature
The aforementioned Kai Wallin was our feature tonight, and it was not only their book release show, but it was also their birthday! You can buy their book HERE and re-watch the feature on our Instagram! Every poem in their set was about a video game, but not “about” the actual game, more that its premise or gameplay was used as a jumping off point for lyrical musing, personal connection/growth, exploring grief, gender exploration, and love. The set expertly showed how video games can be as equally inspirational/insightful as more traditional media like books, movies, and music, and it can produce some well-crafted poetry of its own. Kai also gave out “blind date with a game” cards, which each had a clue/hint to what game was being recommended inside. And I can’t end this recap without noting how much the open expression and sharing of love was a key element of not only this feature, but almost all of Kai’s work. “Never let anyone tell you that you are not a beautiful creature” / “We are going to claim the romance of living that we are owed” / “I am forming a harem, which means I love you and you and you, and you, too / Everyone is loved under this roof.” <3 <3 <3
Coming Up This Wednesday
This week we will have our normal extended open mic plus a rare feature by Shockie G!
BIO: Known for blending elements of street culture with deep introspection, Shockie G’s work reflects the complexities of identity, struggle, and triumph. With a voice that resonates both on paper and in performance, Shockie G has garnered a loyal following for their unapologetic authenticity and poetic ability to provoke thought. Whether speaking to the personal or the political, Shockie G’s verses have a unique way of connecting with audiences on a deeply human level, sparking conversations about the world and our place in it.
– MFG 🚪
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