Melissa Lozada-Oliva – “My Spanish” (100K Views!)

“If you ask me if I am fluent in Spanish, I will tell you that my Spanish is an itchy phantom limb; it is reaching for words and only finding air.”

Congratulations to Melissa on topping 100,000 views on this powerful poem. Check out more from Melissa here and here, and keep an eye out for her forthcoming book from Button Poetry!



And while you’re here, make sure to check out our other books and merch as well, including our awesome t-shirts and poster and new books by Jacqui Germain, Hanif Abdurraqib, and Aaron Coleman!

Will Giles – “Anatomy of a Storm” (Button Live)

Performing at Button Poetry Live.

“What is art to an empty belly? What is a poem to a power outage? What is a prayer to a flood?”

Don’t miss this powerful poem from Will Giles, performing at Button Poetry Live, September 2016. If you’re in the Twin Cities, don’t miss the next Button Poetry Live show, first Monday of every month in downtown Saint Paul.

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, Hanif Abdurraqib, Jacqui Germain, Sam Sax & more.

Best of Button Week 105

“He say he tired of not being the hero in my poems,
I say me too.”



Don’t miss this week’s Best of Button playlist, featuring the top-viewed recent videos on the Button YouTube Channel. Today’s additions: Ebony Stewart & Duncan Slagle. Congratulations poets!
While you’re here on our site, make sure to check out our books and merchandise in the Button Store, including books by Aziza Barnes, Danez Smith, Neil Hilborn and our new book from Aaron Coleman!

Eric Sirota – “No Guns Inside”

Performing at Great Plains 2016.

“My daily life is the cleanest argument for gun control.”

Don’t miss this great poem from Eric Sirota, performing at the 2016 Great Plains Poetry Pile-Up in Lincoln, NE. Support Button on Patreon so we can continue to broadcast these amazing poets!
While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including Button t-shirts in both female and unisex cuts, and books and more by many of your favorite Button artists.

Rachel Wiley – “Paper Babies” (Button Live)

Performing at Button Poetry Live.

“They don’t make Hallmark cards for your first pregnancy scare.”

Don’t miss this fantastic poem from Rachel Wiley, performing at Button Poetry Live, July 2016. If you’re in the Twin Cities, don’t miss the next Button Poetry Live show, first Monday of every month in downtown Saint Paul.

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, Hanif Abdurraqib, Jacqui Germain, Sam Sax & more.

RJ Walker – “Grandpa Millenial”

Performing at the Great Plains Poetry Pile-Up

“The desire to die can be an addicting drug, but the will to live can be a euphoric struggle.”

Don’t miss this incredible poem from RJ Walker, performing at the Great Plains Poetry Pile-Up in Lincoln, NE. Support Button on Patreon so we can continue to broadcast these amazing poets!

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, Hanif Abdurraqib, Jacqui Germain, Sam Sax & more.

Best of Button Week 104

“Batman’s superpower is white privilege.”



Don’t miss this week’s Best of Button playlist, featuring the top-viewed recent videos on the Button YouTube Channel. Today’s additions: Omar Holmon, Anna Binkovitz, and Javon Johnson. Congratulations poets!
While you’re here on our site, make sure to check out our books and merchandise in the Button Store, including books by Aziza Barnes, Danez Smith, Neil Hilborn and our new book from Aaron Coleman!

Real T@lk – “Connected, PT 3” (Button Live)

Performing at Button Poetry Live.

“What’s the price of a black life in Florida?”

Don’t miss this incredible poem from Real T@lk, performing at Button Poetry Live. If you’re in the Twin Cities, don’t miss the next Button Poetry Live show, first Monday of every month in downtown Saint Paul.

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, Hanif Abdurraqib, Jacqui Germain, Sam Sax & more.

Nate Marshall

Nate Marshall is from the South Side of Chicago. He is coeditor of The BreakBeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hop (Haymarket Books, 2015) and author of the chapbook Blood Percussion (Button Poetry, 2014). His book Wild Hundreds is forthcoming (University of Pittsburgh Press).

He received his MFA in Poetry at The University of Michigan where he currently serves as a Zell Postgraduate Fellow. He received his BA at Vanderbilt University. A Cave Canem Fellow, his work has appeared or is forthcoming in POETRY Magazine, Indiana Review, The New Republic, [PANK] Online, and in many other publications.

He was the star of the award winning full-length documentary Louder Than A Bomb and has been featured on HBO’s Brave New Voices. He is also an Assistant Poetry Editor for Muzzle and a Poetry Editor for Kinfolks Quarterly. Nate won the 2014 Hurston/Wright Amistad Award and the 2013 Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Award. Nate was named a semi-finalist for the 2013 “Discovery”/Boston Review Poetry Contest. He was also a 2013 finalist for the Indiana Review Poetry Prize.

Nate has been a teaching artist with organizations such as Young Chicago Authors, InsideOut Detroit, and Southern Word. Nate is the founder of the Lost Count Scholarship Fund that promotes youth violence prevention in Chicago.