In-Depth Look: Alysia Harris – “Joy”

Appreciating poetry is often about patience: sitting with a poem, meditating on it, and re-reading it multiple times. With spoken word, we don’t always get a chance to do that. This series is about taking that chance, and diving a little deeper into some of the new poems going up on Button.

“Sometimes joy means you have to be an archaeologist and an astronomer rolled into one. Sometimes you gotta dig deeper. Sometimes you have to see farther.”

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Write-up by Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre


Get Guante’s Book Here
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Near the end of 2017, I found myself thinking a lot about anthemic poems— big, inspiring, powerful pieces that go beyond just “being right” about an issue, or just being well-crafted, or just getting high slam scores. For me, anthemic poems are poems that do a specific kind of work– if they’re political, for example, they preach to the choir in a way that is both validating and challenging; they’re not hyper-specific critiques (which can also be good and valuable) as much as they are rallying cries or calls to action. These are poems that don’t just get snaps in spoken word spaces; they could be performed at a march, or a campaign kickoff, or in other spaces where energy and vision are needed.

“Joy” is an anthem. It may not be “political” in the sense described above, but it challenges us to understand the term “political” in a deeper, fuller way. By zooming in on a relatable, human situation, the poem finds an entry point for an exploration of a concept that is too often flattened into greeting-card platitudes. Joy isn’t just falling in love and living happily ever after– it is also “finding yourself warm enough for these lonely winter nights,” and “being beautiful, and not having to have a man tell you so.”

Poems don’t have to have happy endings. They don’t have to teach us things, or have specific thesis statements. But there is power in intentionality, in challenging ourselves to ask “what do I want people to walk away with after they’ve read/heard this poem?” That question gets to the core of how I think about anthems, as well as why I think Harris’ poem works so well.

Find more from Alysia Harris here.

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While you’re here on our site, make sure to check out our books and merchandise in the Button Store, including Guante’s own book, as well as titles by Danez Smith, Neil Hilborn, Donte Collins, Sabrina Benaim, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, William Evans, and our newest release from Rudy Francisco!


A poetry film by Motionpoems.

“This be the blessed in-between: the holy fall from the flock, from the union hole, until the touch to ground when I resist the urge to hug and kiss the stranger there beside me.”

Don’t miss this beautiful poem from Geffrey Davis, filmed by Motionpoems.



While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Neil Hilborn, Olivia Gatwood, Hanif Abdurraqib, Jacqui Germain, Aaron Coleman, Donte Collins, Sabrina Benaim, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, William Evans, our newest release from Rudy Francisco, & more.


Performing at the 2017 Rustbelt Poetry Festival.

“Dear Eating Disorder, you can’t have my body, because I was here first.”

Don’t miss this magnificent poem from Daniel, performing at the 2017 Rustbelt Poetry Festival.



While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Neil Hilborn, Olivia Gatwood, Hanif Abdurraqib, Jacqui Germain, Aaron Coleman, Donte Collins, Sabrina Benaim, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, William Evans, our newest release from Rudy Francisco, & more.


Performing at the 2017 Rustbelt Poetry Festival.

“You, underappreciated plastic pew, offer sanctuary for those who need it most.”

Don’t miss this phenomenal poem from EJ Schoenborn, performing at the 2017 Rustbelt Poetry Festival.



While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Neil Hilborn, Olivia Gatwood, Hanif Abdurraqib, Jacqui Germain, Aaron Coleman, Donte Collins, Sabrina Benaim, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, William Evans, our newest release from Rudy Francisco, & more.


Performing at the 2017 Rustbelt Poetry Festival.

“It is the fear of a son never returning home that turns a father into the oppressor.”

Don’t miss this powerful poem from Steven Willis, performing at the 2017 Rustbelt Poetry Festival.



While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Neil Hilborn, Olivia Gatwood, Hanif Abdurraqib, Jacqui Germain, Aaron Coleman, Donte Collins, Sabrina Benaim, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, William Evans, our newest release from Rudy Francisco, & more.


Featuring at Button Poetry Live.
“We are all made of glass, waiting to be broken; only as dangerous as we are fragile.”

Don’t miss this incredible poem from Sam Rush, featuring at Button Poetry Live.



While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Neil Hilborn, Mahogany L. Browne, Olivia Gatwood, Hanif Abdurraqib, Jacqui Germain, Aaron Coleman, Donte Collins, Sabrina Benaim, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, our newest release from Rudy Francisco & more!

Performing at his book release in Los Angeles.

“& when fall came, boys sat up in their beds alone & gasping while their hearts rattled out the ghosts of every unspoken love that dragged them there & then a whole country crawled itself across the ocean & went to war.”

Don’t miss this magnificent poem from Hanif Abdurraqib, performing at his book release at Art Share LA, in Los Angeles. Check out Hanif’s incredible debut book, “The Crown Ain’t Worth Much”.

Today is the last day of the 2017 Button Poetry Chapbook Contest! November 15th – January 5th, 2017-2018. Check out the full information and guidelines for the contest here!

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out all our books and merch, including books by Neil Hilborn, Danez Smith, Jacqui Germain, Sam Sax, Olivia Gatwood, Sabrina Benaim, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, William Evans, our newest release from Rudy Francisco & more.

2016 Button Poetry Video Contest.

“I imagined cutting off pieces of me and giving them to boys in the hope that if they could not love all of me, maybe they could at least love part of me. Maybe that would be easier to swallow.”

Don’t miss this tremendous poem by Olivia Hall, featured contestant in the 2016 Button Poetry Video Contest.

Send us your poems! The 2017 Button Poetry Chapbook Contest is now open for submissions. November 15th – January 5th, 2017-2018. Check out the full information and guidelines for the contest here!

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out all our books and merch, including books by Neil Hilborn, Danez Smith, Olivia Gatwood, Hanif Abdurraqib, Donte Collins, Sabrina Benaim, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, William Evans, our newest release from Rudy Francisco & more.


Performing at the 2017 Rustbelt Poetry Festival.

“To be Muslim is to watch your mosque set on fire and not say a word because you do not know yet if it was the supremacist or the fundamentalist. Which is to say you do not know yet whether you are expected to be outraged or apologize.”

Don’t miss this powerful poem from Amir Safi, performing at the 2017 Rustbelt Poetry Festival.

Want to get your book published on Button? The 2017 Button Poetry Chapbook Contest is now open for submissions. November 15th – January 5th, 2017-2018. Check out the full information and guidelines for the contest here!

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Neil Hilborn, Olivia Gatwood, Hanif Abdurraqib, Jacqui Germain, Aaron Coleman, Donte Collins, Sabrina Benaim, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, William Evans, our newest release from Rudy Francisco, & more.

Best of 2017 #1: T. Miller – “The Difference Between a Girlfriend and a Woman”

“A girlfriend will come over to you house and help clean up your kitchen. A woman will come into your life and help clean up your credit.”

Heading into the new year, we’ll be counting down the top-viewed videos on Button from 2017! Coming in first on the list, “The Difference Between a Girlfriend and a Woman” by T. Miller. Congratulations T.!

Note: This countdown list only covers a small fraction of the brilliant artists who let us share their work on our channel this year, and is by no means a definitive list of the “best” poems, simply the ones that got the most views. Take some time and check out more from the past year on our channel.



While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out all our books and merch, including books by Neil Hilborn, Danez Smith, Olivia Gatwood, Hanif Abdurraqib, Donte Collins, Sabrina Benaim, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, William Evans, our newest release from Rudy Francisco & more.