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Brian S. Ellis

Brian S. Ellis takes a breather between hosting poems in the slam at the Cantab. Photo by Marshall Goff.

Brian S. Ellis takes a breather between hosting poems in the slam at the Cantab. Photo by Marshall Goff.

Brian S. Ellis started coming to the Boston Poetry Slam at the Cantab Lounge on a regular basis in the fall of 2005. In the winter of 2006 he competed in his first slam. Two weeks later he won his first slam, qualifying him for the 2006 team. He was living in his car, on Cape Cod, at the time. He used the last of his money to pay for the gas to compete in the 2006 team selection finals. He made it on the team, and then lived in Boston for the next five years.

In the winter of 2007, Brian represented the venue at the Individual World Poetry Slam in Vancouver, B.C. It was the first time he had ever taken an airplane alone or left the United States. Brian was also a member of the 2007, 2008, and 2009 National Poetry Slam teams. In 2008, he performed on the Finals stage of the National Poetry Slam in Madison, Wis.

Brian S. Ellis on the Cantab open mic. Photo by Richard Beaubien.

Brian S. Ellis on the Cantab open mic. Photo by Richard Beaubien.

Over the years, Brian has competed for the venue’s coveted Champion of Champions title seven times: once versus Omoizele Okoawo, and six times versus Adam Stone. Adam and Brian have bested each other three times each.

Brian hosted at the Cantab from 2009 through 2011. In 2011, he coached the venue’s slam team at the National Poetry Slam in Boston.

His books are: Uncontrolled Experiments in Freedom (Write Bloody, 2008), Yesterday Won’t Goodbye (Write Bloody, 2010), American Dust Revisited (University of Hell, 2013), and Often Go Awry (University of Hell, 2015). He currently lives in Portland, Ore.

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  1. […] Brian Ellis Ellis began performing for audiences in spring 2006. Since then he has been on the the Cantab Lounge Poetry Slam team twice and has represented the Cantab at the individual world poetry slam. He is a local slam champion and has been featured at poetry venues from New England to various regions of the U.S. […]

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