Write an instruction manual for a procedure that does not yet have one (or need one).
Cantab Feature for Wednesday, October 16: Chad Anderson
This night is an installment in the Boston Poetry Slam’s “Sober October,” a month-long series of shows and readers selected to celebrate the sober and recovering artists in our scene.
Chad Anderson, Jersey performance poet and coach.
Chad Anderson is a poet and teacher from the Jersey Shore. His work has been published in The Barbershop Chronicles (Penmanship Books 2009) and Aim for the Head (Write Bloody 2011). Excerpts from his poetry have recently been quoted in The New York Times. In 2009, he coached the first National Poetry Slam team to ever consciously choose to drop out of semi-final competition.
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 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 9, 2013
It just wouldn’t be Sober October without Carrie Rudzinski in the house, folks! This world-traveling poet (and recent Individual World Poetry Slam Finalist!) came home to roost with us for just a short while, celebrating her travels and tribulations with our room. If you missed her feature, you’ll have to track her down to get her live CD of performances from the Boston Poetry Slam… But she does have a couple of books available on Amazon if you find yourself stranded and in need.
Our slam that night got off to a rousing start, with more than one out-of-towner making the trip especially to compete on the Boston stage. The last two standing were Portland’s Robin Merrill and Manchester’s Ed Wilkinson! We think Ed just might have put down a few local roots over the years, though, as he eeked out a win over Robin in the finals with great work performed from all parties.
Also this week… The Encyclopedia Show continued with the season’s second episode, all about SERIAL KILLERS. The art was heavy and the jokes were fast and furious; fortunately, all announcements of deaths were premature and the entire cast lives for another day. Extra-special thanks to our performing artists from the poetry scene: Patrick S., Lauren Elma Frament, Wes Hazard, and Megan Thoma, all hosted flawlessly by Kevin Spak and Aimee Rose Ranger. Did you miss the show? No worries: we’re back on Monday, November 18 with all poems and art about THE ZODIAC. See you in Davis Square!
Tonight, of course, the poetry cavalcade continues in Cambridge with Chad Anderson, New Jersey performance poet and coach. We’ll finish up the night with the eighth and final open slam in this season’s Champion of Champions series!
Cantab Feature for Wednesday, October 9: Carrie Rudzinski
This night is an installment in the Boston Poetry Slam’s “Sober October,” a month-long series of shows and readers selected to celebrate the sober and recovering artists in our scene.
Carrie Rudzinski brings a new poem to sacrifice for the 2012 team slams. Photo by Marshall Goff.
Named “Best Female Poet” at the 2008 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational, Carrie Rudzinski has since performed her work for audiences across the United States, New Zealand, Australia, and India. She represented the Boston Poetry Slam at the 2010 Individual World Poetry Slam, twice at the National Poetry Slam (2010/2011), and ranked 14th at the 2011 Women Of The World Poetry Slam. At the 2011 National Poetry Slam, she took 2nd place at the coveted Underground Individual Competition, where poets are judged by an audience of their peers.
Most recently, Carrie represented Denver’s Mercury Cafe at the 2013 Women of The World Poetry Slam. Her work has been published in such collections as Words Dance, Muzzle, OnMag, and Alight. Her newest book, The Shotgun Speaks, was released in 2013.
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 slam in the 8×8 series will follow. The show is 18+ (ID required) and the cover charge is $3.
Update for Sunday, October 6
It’s a historic day in New England poetry slam, folks… Tonight, we raise our well-worn coffee mugs in a farewell toast to Worcester’s historic slam, The Poets’ Asylum. This long-standing event has been a staple of Wormtown’s Sunday night community and entertainment since 1989, and a beloved space for artists of all ages to cut loose, get real, and receive house-rules penalties for animal acts in a poem. Although the Asylum is closing up shop until further notice, they promise a return “someday in some form.” In the meantime, the spirit, the slam, and most of the community’s of-age poets can be found in full force at Worcester’s Monday night reading, The Dirty Gerund. We at the Boston Poetry Slam send our fondest regards to the Asylum and look forward to throwing our support behind their next project.
Of course, as long as you are toasting, you should also consider offering a tip of your hat (or a mug of your finest cheap beer) to our returning Individual World Poetry Slam representative, Bobby Crawford. Bobby finished 15th of 70 competitors, making him our highest-ranking IWPS rep to date! Come on out this Wednesday and congratulate him in person… Or high-five him on your way to your venue vantage point for this year’s 7th ranked IWPS poet, a previous Cantab IWPS rep, fellow Emerson College grad, and partial inspiration for our month-long Sober October celebration: October 9 feature Carrie Rudzinski.
Cantab Recap for Wednesday, October 2
Consider us flattered: Ed Mabrey spent his last night as the 2012 Individual World Poetry Slam Champion with us here at the Cantab! Ed took us on a sometimes-musical journey full of grand plans, advice of all kinds, and sweet, sweet awkwardness, then got a refreshing three hours of sleep before boarding his plane to the competition in Spokane. Our own sparse-yet-intense six-person slam yielded finalists Zeke Russell and Sophia Holtz… You might think Sophia has just been sitting quietly in the back of the bar listening to the rest of the field slam this summer, but she dispatched Z cleanly (and honorably) for the ten-dollar prize. What a fun show!
Meanwhile, across the country in Spokane, Washington the Individual World Poetry Slam was just heating up. After one night of preliminary competition, our very own Bobby Crawford is sitting respectably near the top third of the field, with two more rounds to go tonight! For raw scores and the bout draw for the whole tournament, you can check out Poetry Slam, Inc.’s score page… Or you can follow along with SlamCenter, the world’s one and only highlights and analysis slam news show; interviews and recaps go up tonight!
Next week at the Cantab: our celebration of Sober October continues with Carrie “Sober” Rudzinksi herself. You can expect a sold-our show, a jam-packed slam, and no doubt at least one or two classic Cantab guests coming out of the woodwork for this one. See you there!
Moonlighting: A Queer Open Mic and Reading Series on Thursday, October 3, 2013 Featuring Tommy Pico
This reading is part of our monthly LGBTQ series, Moonlighting. Click here for more information about this recurring show.
Tommy “Teebs” Pico, Editor in Chief of birdsong mag.
Tommy “Teebs” Pico is the driving force behind birdsong, an antiracist/queer-positive collective, small press, and zine that publishes art and writing. His work has appeared in [PANK], BOMB, and THEthe Poetry Blog. Originally from the Viejas Indian reservation of the Kumeyaay nation, he now lives and loves in Brooklyn. Visit him at heyteebs.tumblr.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, October 2: Ed Mabrey
This night is an installment in the Boston Poetry Slam’s “Sober October,” a month-long series of shows and readers selected to celebrate the sober and recovering artists in our scene.
Ed Mabrey, two-time IWPS champion.
Ed Mabrey is a two-time Individual World Poetry Slam Champion (2007/2012 and was the first person of color to win the title), 2012 Poetry Slam Artist of the Year (National Poetry Awards), 4-time National Poetry Slam Finalist, an Emmy nominated actor, National Best Selling poetry anthology contributor (Spoke Word Revolution Redux/Sourcebooks), motivational speaker, poet, and amateur comedian. He has served as Host/Master of Ceremony for over 200 events in the past 4 years and over 600 events in the past 8 years. Ed tours internationally and has conducted performances and workshops at over 70 colleges and universities, and most recently showcased his poem “Firework” on the 2013 National Poetry Slam Finals stage.
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 slam in the 8×8 series will follow. The show is 18+ (ID required) and the cover charge is $3.
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