Feature for February 22, 2012: Angel Nafis

Brooklyn poet Angel Nafis.

Brooklyn poet Angel Nafis.

Angel Nafis is an Ann Arbor, Michigan native, where she resided as the VOLUME youth poetry project’s Poet in Residence at the Neutral Zone Teen Center for two years. She represented Ann Arbor in the Brave New Voices festival two years in a row as a member of the Youth Slam Team, performing on the final stages at the San Francisco Opera House and the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Her work can be stumbled upon in FOUND Magazine’s Requiem for a Paper Bag, Decibels, GirlSpeak Webzine, The Bear Rivers Writing Conference Online Magazine, and Muzzle.

In 2011, she represented the LouderArts poetry project at both the Women of the World Poetry Slam and the National Poetry Slam. She is an Urban Word NYC Mentor. Her chapbook BlackGirl Mansion will be released through Red Beard Press in 2012. She currently curates and hosts a poetry reading series in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. She’s never leaving Brooklyn.

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 poetry slam in the 8×8 series will follow. The show is 18+ (ID required) and the cover charge is $3.

Cantab Recap for Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Meaghan Ford suggests there just might be some joy in sex. Who's arguing with this lady? Photo by Marshall Goff.

Meaghan Ford suggests there just might be some joy in sex. Who's arguing with this lady? Photo by Marshall Goff.

Folks, we have somehow survived another Erotic Poetry Night at the Cantab Lounge! It was another night of poets mixing the sensual with the slutty, subtlety with straight-up (or not) sex, and erotica with neurotica… Let’s just say we’re pretty sure Congress doesn’t have a panel to deal with ANY of the propositions we heard last night. Thanks to all our open mic readers, especially the first-timers who chose this particular night to finally give in and come down to the show!

Wow, even slam host Kevin Spak is disgusted with Adam Stone's haiku. Photo by Marshall Goff.

Wow, even slam host Kevin Spak is disgusted with Adam Stone's haiku. Photo by Marshall Goff.

Thanks in no small part to producer Gary Hoare, as well as improvising haiku host Kevin Spak, the Head-to-Head Dirty Haiku Slam was a raging (not infection-like, more hurricane-like) success! An extremely competitive first round saw the elimination of local favorites Cassandra de Alba, and April Penn, as well as warmly-welcomed Worcester guest Jessica Lovina O’Neill. The controversial fourth elimination of the ribald and tipsy Jade Sylvan (at the hands of Patrick S.) actually forced a one-haiku death-match round in which Patrick cemented his win… Only to go down to Harlym125 in the next round of semis. After dirty girl Brandi MacDonald gave it up to Adam Stone in the second semi, it was 125 vs. Adam in the head-to-head.

Naturally, the best-of-seventeen final round came down to an eight-to-eight tie. Despite Adam’s apparent inability to count to seventeen, 125’s [unprintable]bubbles ultimately lost out to the nastiest possible senryu version of the Dozens. Congrats to Adam Stone on his win! –and an extra round of applause for Harlym125, who no doubt has a little brother or sister on the way.

Next week: we’re back with Angel Nafis, rising star who comes to us from Brooklyn, plus an open slam in the 8×8 series. In the meantime, please enjoy this lovely photo set from the evening, courtesy of Marshall Goff.

Tips from the Bar: Now What?

Imagine that you arrive at the Cantab on a Wednesday to find that no poetry is happening. Now what do you do?

Feature for February 15, 2012: Erotic Poetry Night with Head-to-Head Dirty Haiku

The Boston Poetry Slam's annual Erotic Poetry Night presents the Head-to-Head Dirty Haiku Slam! Logo by Gary Hoare.

The Boston Poetry Slam's annual Erotic Poetry Night presents the Head-to-Head Dirty Haiku Slam! Logo by Gary Hoare.

It’s the Wednesday closest to Valentine’s, which means it’s time for our annual Erotic Poetry Night! Poets are encouraged to bring original erotic poems, poems about sex, or poems about naughtiness in general. This year’s event will also feature the Boston Poetry Slam’s first-ever Head-to-Head Dirty Haiku Slam, produced by Gary Hoare: eight haikusters will slam off in pairs to see who can pack the most nasty possible into seventeen syllables. Sign-ups for the slam must be in advance, but the rest of the mic time is wide open to everyone. Is it hot in here, or is it just you?

Slammers have been confirmed! Audience can expect a wild selection of raunch and trouble from Patrick S., Jade Sylvan, Adam Stone, Cassandra de Alba, Harlym125, April Penn, Jessica Lovina O’Neill, and Brandi Macdonald.

Doors for the show open at 7:15. The erotic-themed open mic begins at 8:00, featuring head-to-head dirty haiku matches throughout the night. The show is 18+ (ID required) and the cover charge is $3.

Cantab Recap for Wednesday, February 8, 2012

After the finish of last week’s huge World Qualifier Slams, we knew we’d have to bring in a major player to keep the Cantab’s momentum going. No problem! First our open mic got a spotlight visit from Joe Brundidge, famed Neo-Soul slammer from Austin, Texas, who teased us first with haiku, then tenderized us with his heartfelt work. Our headliner, featured poet Sierra DeMulder, finished the job like the two-time national champ and double-published author that she is; her newest book is available online at WriteBloody.com. Finally, a big slam finished up the night, with Ed Wilkinson surviving a semi-final round tie-breaker to ultimately take the win over Michael Monroe.

Next week: it’s finally time for our long-awaited Erotic Poetry Night! This year’s show will feature an extended (heh heh) open mic, as well as our first-ever Head-to-Head Dirty Haiku Slam, produced by Gary Hoare. Our eight slammers have been confirmed, and they are ready to horrify and delight: Patrick S., Jade Sylvan, Adam Stone, Cassandra de Alba, Harlym125, April Penn, Jessica Lovina O’Neill, and Brandi Macdonald. This night will sell out, so arrive early if you want an open mic spot or a seat, and be prepared to wait in line to enter.

Tips from the Bar: The Safety of What??

Write a poem based on a word or phrase misheard (or misread).

Feature for February 8, 2012: Sierra DeMulder

Sierra DeMulder

Sierra DeMulder

Sierra DeMulder is a two-time National Poetry Slam champion and twice-published Write Bloody author. In addition to reaching Finals stage at every major national event (NPS, IWPS, CUPSI, BNV), Sierra coached the Macalaster College Slam Team at the 2011 College Union Poetry Slam Invitational, from which they took home the national title. While not performing poetry, she enjoys making and imbibing coffee, making full use of public transportation, and waxing on about feminism.

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 poetry slam in the 8×8 series will follow. The show is 18+ (ID required) and the cover charge is $3.

Cantab Recap for February 1, 2012: Mckendy Fils-Aimé Wins the World Qualifier Finals!

The Cantab Lounge was stuffed to the gills last night for the final rounds of our two-night World Qualifier series, with strangers practically in each other’s laps just to catch a glimpse of the finalists. The eight poets were gunning for that all-expenses trip to the 2012 Individual World Poetry Slam in Fayetteville, Arkansas (don’t you laugh! Arkansas loves poetry!), and it would all come down to a wicked head-to-head match-up in the fourth and final round.

Due to a last-minute drop-out, Bobby Crawford was called up from the minors to slam in last night's World Qualifier Final. Here he performs in the January semi-finals. Photo by Marshall Goff.

Due to a last-minute drop-out, Bobby Crawford was called up from the minors to slam in last night's World Qualifier Final. Here he performs in the January semi-finals. Photo by Marshall Goff.

The slam kicked off with Jared Singer, special guest from NYC, as the first sacrificial poet, and Sophia Holtz bounced back from her elimination from semi-finals last week to bring an intimidating piece to the second sac spot. Finalist Nate Leland found himself unable to attend at the last minute, so last week’s ninth-ranked poet, Bobby Crawford, cheerfully jumped in the mix to open up the first round. After a round of painfully consistent judging (sixes and sevens! fours and fives!) Bobby and Matthew Richards were eliminated, with Melissa Newman-Evans decisively taking the top score from the final spot in the round.

Round two opened up with Kevin Spak leading the audience in a (non-printable) call-and-response that stood as the second-highest score of the round; Melissa just edged him out a few poems later. Meaghan Ford was narrowly eliminated in this round, and Sam Teitel took a surprise drubbing from judges who had enjoyed his mockery of New York City in round one, but were apparently unfamiliar with Jew-berty.

The fourth “long-poem” round saw Mckendy Fils-Aimé step off-mic to work the room; a flawless performance of his Michael Jordan piece earned him the highest score of the entire night. Paulie Lipman’s memorial to Blair was the only poem to take advantage of the four-minute time limit, but a super-consistent judging staff returned to their unimpressed baseline. Spak put up a solid effort with a newer-to-this-listener piece dedicated to a past co-worker, but, in an ironic twist, was soundly defeated by Melissa’s love poem.

That left Mckendy and Melissa to fight it out in the final round! Both poets had put forth solid efforts all night; Melissa had won the first and second rounds and was sitting on the coveted final performance spot in the pairing, but Mckendy had clearly been gathering momentum. When the dust cleared, Mckendy’s “Elegy for the Aftermath” topped out over Melissa’s “Letter for Myself at Seven Years Old,” and the crowd went wild.

Mckendy Fils-Aimé, our 2012 IWPS representative, performs on the Cantab open mic. Photo by Cassandra Ashley.

Mckendy Fils-Aimé, our 2012 IWPS representative, performs on the Cantab open mic. Photo by Cassandra Ashley.

Final rankings:
1. WINNER: Mckendy Fils-Aimé
2. Runner-up: Melissa Newman-Evans
Eliminated after three rounds:
3. Kevin Spak
4. Paulie Lipman
Eliminated after two rounds:
5. Meaghan Ford
6. Sam Teitel
Eliminated after one round:
7. Matthew Richards
8. Bobby Crawford
DNS: Nate Leland was unable to attend. Bobby Crawford was called up from the semi-finals to fill the eighth slot.

Congratulations to Mckendy Fils-Aimé, who will represent the Boston Poetry Slam @ the Cantab Lounge in Arkansas this October! Special thanks to all the poets who slammed, audience who cheered and heckled, and, of course, a crew of the most fabulously consistent and harsh judges we’ve seen in a long time: Lindsay Warriner, Dave McKenna, Jeep and Josh, T♥, and Ikenna and Khadijah.

Next week: we knew we’d have to bring in a champion of everything to top this week’s show, so we booked Sierra DeMulder, National Poetry Slam champion from 2010 and 2011. We’ll also hold an open poetry slam in the 8×8 series.

Tips from the Bar: Marty, Something Has Got to Be Done About Your Kids

You have received a gift from a new lover. However, due to a time travel incident, the “you” who is receiving the gift is the “you” five years from now– who knows exactly how the relationship ends. How do you turn the gift down?

(Yes, this prompt sounds exactly like it came from bartender Adam Stone, but it’s actually thanks to guest tipper Cassandra Ashley.)

Feature for February 1, 2012: World Qualifier Finals

Boston Poetry Slam

2012 World Qualifiers

The World Qualifier Finals will determine the Boston Poetry Slam’s representative to the 2012 Individual World Poetry Slam. Top scorers from the World Qualifier Semi-Finals will compete in four rounds of slam, including one long-poem (4-minute) round. The two-night, six-poem series will culminate with a single poet left standing!

The eight finalists are pictured below. All photos are courtesy of and © Marshall Goff, and all were taken at the January 18 World Qualifier Semi-Finals. Photos may be republished with appropriate artist credit only. Media outlets seeking high-resolution versions may contact the photographer directly.

Doors for the show open at 7:15. The open mic begins at 8:00 and the slam begins at approximately 10:00. (There is no open poetry slam tonight.) The show is 18+ (ID required) and the cover charge is $5 to help fundraise for the winner’s trip to IWPS.