Moonlighting: A Queer Open Mic and Reading Series on May 7, 2015 — Benefit for the Boston Dyke March!

This reading is part of our monthly LGBTQ series, Moonlighting. Click here for more information about this recurring show.

The featured reader for May 7, 2015 is a round robin feature of fantastic ladies slinging poems on behalf of the Boston Dyke March! See below for the feature list, and be sure to get there early to snag a spot on the open mic.

As yet another bonus, Mad Femme Pride will be hosting a pre-show salon and workshop at 6:30PM.

A little more about your features:

JANAE JOHNSON is a Stevie Wonder-loving, Jamba Juice-sipping, slampoet, educator, and activist in the Boston area. Janae is the reigning Women of the World PoetrySlam Champion and was the grand slam champion of the 2014 Boston Poetry Slam Team. She is the founder/coach/advisor for the nationally ranked Simmons College (Speaks) Poetry Slam team.

SARAH LYNN HERKLOTS is a Performance Poet who believes in poetry and performance as tools for transformation and healing. Sarah represented Portland, ME in the 2012 Women of the World Poetry slam where she placed in the top 15. She has been published by Moon Pie Press in the anthology “Passion and Pride: Poets supporting Equality”, Nin Journal and by Resurgo Magazine.

CHLOE CUNHA is a poet and screenwriter, and an incoming host of the Encyclopedia Show Boston. She first discovered a love for poetry at Bar 13’s louderARTS while living in NYC. Though she deeply misses the constant throb of panicked sirens and the bevy of skunky dives, she is happy to have since moved back to her native hometown of Cambridge, MA.

CASSANDRA EUPHRAT WESTON is a poet and cheesecake enthusiast who performs as one half of the poetry duo About That Elephant. Emojis are among her favorite hobbies.

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 salon/workshop begins at approximately 6:30 p.m. with an open mic to follow at 7:00 p.m. The four-poet feature will follow the open. The show is all-ages and a $3 donation is requested.

Cantab Feature for Wednesday, May 6, 2015: Michael Brown

Michael Brown, founding SlamMaster, reads his own work from the Cantab anthology. Photo by Marshall Goff.

Michael Brown, founding SlamMaster, reads his own work from the Cantab anthology. Photo by Marshall Goff.

Michael R. Brown has published poetry, fiction, travel articles and columns in wide-ranging periodicals all over the world: his fourth book of poetry, The Confidence Man, was published in 2006 by Ragged Sky. Brown holds a Ph.D. in English and Education from the University of Michigan, and for 46 years he taught at high schools and universities from the South Side of Chicago to South Korea.

Since 1989, Brown has been active in poetry slams, performing in Europe as well as North America. For thirteen years, he hosted the Boston Poetry Slam at the Cantab Lounge and he appears in the film SlamNation. He is co-producer of The Culture of Peace, an international exhibit of art and poetry organized under the UN mandate for a decade of the Culture of Peace. He was general secretary of the Poetry Olympics, first held in Stockholm in 1998. He produced and directed Dr. Brown’s Traveling Poetry Show, a theatrical poetry ensemble.

After moving to Down East Maine in 2007, Brown and his partner Valerie Lawson have begun a monthly reading series and taken over the poetry journal Off the Coast. For a while, he covered the Passamaquoddy reservation and county health issues for the local newspaper. Now he is working on several books while he directs and performs with Stage East, the community theater at the Eastport Arts Center.

Note that tonight’s last chance poetry slam is a speed slam with 3-, 2-, and 1-minute rounds. Slam winners qualify for the 2015 World Qualifier.

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

Cantab Recap for Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Just so you know, Cantabbers: sometimes, when we say a reading was “intimate,” we don’t mean that nobody was in the room. We mean that the feature held us in the palm of his hand as though we were the only bar in the world, and his the only poems that mattered. Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib did just that for us last night, bringing us relief and renewed energy to take on the events of the week with broadened perspective and better language. What a beautiful and necessary night.

Our last speed slam of the series was a wild ride, finalizing in Mill City death match between Bobby Crawford and Zeke Russell. In this case, the student surpassed the master: Bobby escaped the one-minute round with ten dollars and the last spot in the May 20 Champion of Champions Slam.

Next week, our co-founder, now a resident of Onset, Maine, returns to the scene of the crime: please come welcome back SlamMaster Emeritus Michael Brown. Our speed slam will be the very last of the season, and the Last Chance Slam to qualify for the World Qualifier Speed Slam on May 13.

Tips from the Bar: Song of Yourself

Write a poem critique of another piece of art: poem, song, photograph, dance, street sign, drunken rant, etc.

Cantab Feature for Wednesday, April 29, 2015: Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib

Columbus-gone-Connecticut poet Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib.

Columbus-gone-Connecticut poet Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib.

Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib is a poet, writer, and dessert enthusiast from Columbus, Ohio. He is the author of Sons of Noah, a chapbook forthcoming from Tired Hearts Press, and the editor of Again I Wait For This To Pull Apart, an anthology forthcoming from Freezeray Press. His work has been published in Radius, Stirring, Muzzle, Vinyl, joINT, Borderline, and various other journals. He has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and his poem “Hestia” won the 2014 Capital University poetry prize. He wants to talk to you about the Cincinnati Bengals and your top 5 albums.

Note that tonight’s open poetry slam is a speed slam with 3-, 2-, and 1-minute rounds. Slam winners qualify for the 2015 World Qualifier.

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

Cantab Recap for Wednesday, April 22, 2015

It was a windy spring night in Cambridge last night, which meant that we were lucky enough to have Chanel Dupree blow in from New York via Northampton! This up-and-coming poet brought us a lovely and lyrical set, including both well-polished poems from last year’s Nationals and some brand-new work we expect to see sharpened on the stage later this summer. The slam was a well-balanced six-poet fight, boiling down to JR Mahung and Janae Johnson in the 1-minute round. Janae pulled out all the (Stevie Wonder!) stops to take the win and the $10, earning her one of the last spots in our upcoming World Qualifier Speed Slam.

Next week: we welcome back Columbus-at-heart poet and our recent Grudge Match hosting star, Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib. The speed slam that night will be the last in our 8×8 Champion of Champions series.

Tips from the Bar: Is It That Time of Year Already?

Prepare a creepy interaction for your next reunion.

Cantab Feature for Wednesday, April 22: Chanel Dupree

2014 NPS semi-finalist Chanel Dupree.

2014 NPS semi-finalist Chanel Dupree.

Chanel Dupree is a rising young spoken word artist from New York City. Chanel was the only woman on the final LouderARTS slam team, semi-finalists at the 2014 National Poetry Slam; she was invited to perform her poem “Delusions” as part the Finals Stage showcase. Chanel has featured at the Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe, Port Veritas, and at Yale University’s United Nations Global Health Conference, promoting women’s advocacy and youth employment. Chanel has also been featured on “At the Inkwell” as one of their inspiring up and coming writers. Chanel’s writing style is storytelling and redemption; spilling everything on the page, showing how being human is a beautiful battle.

Note that tonight’s open poetry slam is a speed slam with 3-, 2-, and 1-minute rounds. Slam winners qualify for the 2015 World Qualifier.

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

Grudge Match 2015 Recap: Thank You to All Our Grudging Fans!

For those of you who were able to get tickets to our sold out Grudge Match show on Sunday: thank you, thank you, thank you! We packed the house with an awesome crowd (comic Wes Hazard said y’all were “dope,” btw) and were so proud to put on a show for you. All the proceeds from this show will be split between the Boston Poetry Slam and the House Slam to help send both teams to the National Poetry Slam this August. NorthBEAST!!

Oh, you’re wondering who WON this Grudge Match? Okay, okay: we officially acknowledge that by a 4-3 round score, the Haley House took the big win at our first ever show. Congratulations to the show, especially founding SlamMasters Porsha Olayiwola and Janae Johnson! Janae was captured in a great stage shot by official photographer Marshall Goff:

Janae Johnson takes the mic at the 2015 Grudge Match to tell us about the MBTA. Photo by Marshall Goff.

Janae Johnson takes the mic at the 2015 Grudge Match to tell us about the MBTA. Photo by Marshall Goff.

Congratulations to the Haley House! SEE YOU NEXT YEAR, RIVAL CROSS-TOWN SLAM!!11!1!

Of course, this show could not possibly have happened without the help of many hard-working volunteers. Remember hearing about the upcoming shows that all our judges, openers, and hosts are involved in?? Here’s a quick guide to what’s coming up from these excellent folks… We are proud to recommend all the shows featuring these talented folks:

  • KEN GREEN, Chicago Judge Extraordinare, is the founder of Story Club Boston, a live theater open mic with storytelling features. The next show is this Monday, April 27, at the Milky Way in Jamaica Plain!
  • COLIN KILLICK, judge, community organizer, and poet, will speak at Capable Massachusetts: A Panel on Poetry and Disability at the Mass Poetry Festival in Salem on Saturday, May 2.
  • WES HAZARD, brilliant comedian and stage presence, will be back at Oberon on Monday, May 4 as quizmaster for The Big Quiz Thing’s special Star-Wars themed live trivia game show. You can cheer on his other pursuits at his personal website.
  • AIMEE ROSE RANGER, host and comedian, hosts a FREE comedy variety show at Zuzu in Central Square, Cambridge on first and third (and fifth!) Sundays. It’s called The Ranger Zone, and the next one will be Sunday, May 3.
  • ALEX CHARALAMBIDES, who served as our de facto Bout Manager/Head Evil Judge, is actually the kind-hearted Managing Director for Mass LEAP, which presents the annual Louder Than a Bomb youth poetry slam tournament every spring in Boston. Follow them on Facebook to keep up with the fun: events start in South Boston on May 9.

Wow: what a baller troupe of staff folks. Want to give thanks for a great night? Please spread the word about these good folks making art happen all over the state.

Thanks, everybody. Looking forward to the rematch…

The Boston Poetry Slam and the House Slam Present: THE GRUDGE MATCH, April 19, 2015

First-ever Haley House vs. Boston Poetry Slam Grudge Match! Banner by Emily Carroll.

First-ever Haley House vs. Boston Poetry Slam Grudge Match! Banner by Emily Carroll.

THE GRUDGE MATCH: House Slam vs. Boston Poetry Slam
Sunday, April 19, 2015
OBERON, 2 Arrow St. in Harvard Square, Cambridge
doors at 6:30pm, show 7pm-9pm
18+, $10/advance or $15/door (click for tickets)
click for Facebook event

Get ready for the biggest National Poetry Month event of 2015! The House Slam @ the Haley House Bakery Cafe and the Boston Poetry Slam @ the Cantab Lounge are proud to present the first ever GRUDGE MATCH POETRY SLAM between the two venues.

On Sunday, April 19, greater Boston’s oldest and freshest slam venues will face off against each other in a head-to-head poetry battle for big-city bragging rights. Poets from each team will use all the tricks of their trade— lyricism, comedy, political fury, and straight-up heartfelt personal narrative— to impress rowdy audience and all-star judges in the heart of Harvard Square!

ANNOUNCING THE TEAMS FOR THE GRUDGE MATCH:
—Team Boston Poetry Slam will be represented by SlamMaster Simone Beaubien (Captain), Bobby Crawford, Chloé Cunha, Marshall Gillson, Jade Sylvan, Joshua Elbaum, Sean Patrick Mulroy, and Meaghan Ford.
—Team House Slam will be comprised of SlamMaster Porsha Olayiwola (Captain), Nora Meiners, Febo, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, Cassandra Euphrat Weston, Sterling Higa, Jordan Peterson, and Janae Johnson.

All slammers will present NEW WORK written EXCLUSIVELY FOR THIS SLAM on topics selected by the Captains. They’ll be judged by five hyper-critical American-Idol-style judges, including Mass LEAP leader Alex Charalambides, slam legend and Story Club Boston curator Ken Green, displaced Portland slam champ Sarah Lynn Herklots, local thinker and slammer Colin Killick, and one-time Cambridge Poet Populist Toni Bee.

The show opens promptly at 7:00 with performances from comedian Wes Hazard, musician Steve Subrizi, and Princess Moon. The slam will follow, hosted by Encyclopedia Show host Aimee Rose Ranger and Columbus poet Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib.

This show is 18+ and tickets are $10 in advance/$15 at the door. All proceeds go to help send the House Slam and Boston Poetry Slam teams to the 2015 National Poetry Slam in Oakland, California this August.