It seems like the nights are getting shorter, Cantabbers. Is it so? For instance, last night, when Hieu Minh Nguyen took the stage, it seemed like just a few blinks, six-to-eight life-and-oeuvre-changing poems later, and he was gone. With work as dense, nuanced, and emotionally charged as Hieu’s, we know it’s not enough (it’s never enough), so don’t forget that you can take his work home with you: his recent work, This Way to the Sugar (Write Bloody) is still available from the publisher, or you can get connected to his author website to for information on Here, due out on Coffee House Press in 2018.
In keeping with the lightning-fast nature of the night, the evening closed with a speed slam: four intrepid slammers took the stage in search of the most elusive literary beast, $10 for poetry! The final round came down to Orlando traveler Troy Cunio vs. local poet-making-good Sara Mae. Sara took the top score in the one-minute round, keeping the ten bucks in the local economy, but sending Troy off with a huge round of applause.
Next week: oh, did you like that speed slam? There’s so much more where that came from! Not to be pushy, but, really, slam fans just MUST come to the Team Selection Semi-Finals next week. Our open mic will be quick as a blink, so come early (or consider waiting until another week) if you want to get in on it… Or, for the maximum influence on our night, you could luck out and get to judge the slam! It’s gonna be a wicked good show, folks, so pack a snack (because you can always bring your dinner to the Cantab, just not your drinks) and get ready for two poems each from Claudia Wilson, Ron, Austin Hendricks, Zeke Russell, Kylie Noelle, Brandon Melendez, Allison Truj, Adam Stone, Kieran Collier, Mckendy Fils-Aimé, Neiel Israel, Emily Taylor, and John Pinkham. And, yes, that’ll be a $5 night, because hot dang!
Boston Poetry Slam Online