“Paradise is a world where everything is a sanctuary and nothing is a gun.”
Don’t miss this week’s Best of Button playlist, featuring the top-viewed recent videos on the Button YouTube Channel. Today’s additions: Danez Smith, Blythe Baird & Taylor Seaberg. 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 JUST-RELEASED book from Hanif Abdurraqib!
Performing at Rustbelt 2016.
“I wonder what they found when they cut him open. Wings, I bet.
I bet they found wings.”
Don’t miss this stunning poem from Sam Sax, performing at the 2016 Rustbelt Regional Poetry Slam in Columbus, OH. You can check out more of Sam’s work in his brilliant book, A Guide to Undressing Your Monsters. Watch more of Sam’s videos here, here and 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.
Performing at Art Share LA.
“All of my poems are collection plates. I fill & fill & fill & fill.
I have yet to come up empty.”
Don’t miss this beautiful poem from Yesika Salgado, performing at Art Share LA. You can check out more of Yesika’s videos here and here.
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.
It’s the weekend, so you know what that means, another installment of Button’s Round-Up! This week we have lots of poems, some articles, and more! Enjoy!
Slam Poetry: A new generation of multicultural poets empowered through the spoken word
This article comes all the way from Australia. It covers a lot of ground concerning the impact of slam poetry in Australia, such as it’s place in bridging racial divides. It’s refreshing to read a story about slam poetry not focused on America!
The Adroit Journal’s 2016 Best of the Net Nominees
The Adroit Journal released its list of nominees for its Best of the Net Anthology, an annual collection of works from around the internet. This year’s list includes Button regulars Fatimah Asghar, Hieu Minh Nguyen, and Sam Sax. Congratulations poets!
Three Poems by Jonathan Jacob Moore
Here are three poems by Jonathan Jacob Moore, also known as Jon Jon. The poems are titled “frank ocean and all black things that disappear on their own”, “owed to the work”, and “ghazal for bitchboi”. Enjoy!
Storytelling & Bookmaking Field Trips
This one is for educators and parents in the Boston area. Designed for grades 1-4, 826 Boston offers a two-hour workshop that will help young students create their own books! This is a wonderful opportunity to show young kids the power and fun behind creating books outside of the classroom.
Pinwheel Journal Issue 11
The latest issue of Pinwheel Journal was released this week. The list features Button poet Hanif Abdurraqib, and (for the second time this week) Hieu Minh Nguyen and sam sax! Once again, congratulations poets!
“Why We Need The Get Down’s Hip-Hop Myths” by Hanif Abdurraqib
Speaking of Hanif, he recently had a new essay published by MTV. The essay is about The Get Down and the cultural importance of myths like the origins of rap and hip-hop. Thank you, Hanif, for this amazing piece.
And that’s it for this week’s round-up! I hope you enjoyed all the reading material. See you again next week!
“He wants my friends and family to forget my name,
only remember his.”
Congratulations to Dan Roman on topping 250,000 views on this brilliant poem!
And while you’re here, make sure to check out the rest of our books and merch as well, including our awesome t-shirts and poster and new books by Jacqui Germain and Hanif Abdurraqib!
Performing at WOWPS 2016.
“The only time he was asked to put his hands up was to show us how he looks when he pretends he’s flying.”
Don’t miss this beautiful poem from Ebony Stewart, performing at the 2016 Women of the World Poetry Slam in Brooklyn, NY. You can check out more of Ebony’s work here and here.
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.
Writing Prompt #3 (w/ J. Scott Brownlee)
Hey Button fans! With just a couple weeks left in the video and chapbook contests, we’re excited to feature another writing prompt to help you with your own writing. If you’re comfortable, please share what you write in response to the prompt in the comments below this post, and feel free to include it in your submission for either contest! You can check our previous prompts here.
Today’s prompt comes courtesy of former Button chapbook contest winner J. Scott Brownlee. For further inspiration, you can check out some of Brownlee’s work on the Button channel here and here. The prompt is as follows:
Frank O’Hara’s famous line “Someday I’ll love Frank O’Hara” has ignited a chain of responses from contemporary poets started by Roger Reeves and continued by myself and poets like Ocean Vuong. Write a poem about yourself that is also about your place in the world. Let its title be, “Someday I’ll Love (Insert Your Full Name).” This is the only rule to follow for this prompt. Be bold. Think big. Say something you’ve been afraid to say about yourself and your identity. For an example, check out Ocean’s poem “Someday I’ll Love Ocean Vuong” in The New Yorker.
Again, feel free to share whatever you write in response to the prompt in the comments below this post (you can use a pseudonym if you’d prefer, and your email address won’t be public). We look forward to seeing your work!
Performing at WOWPS 2016.
“The worst thing about genocide isn’t the hunger or the murder,
it’s the silence.”
Don’t miss this incredible poem from Emi Mahmoud, performing at the 2016 Women of the World Poetry Slam in Brooklyn, NY. You can check out more of Emi’s work here and here.
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.
“Her hair: her own queer Bat Signal in the sky
announcing her lesbian arrival.”
Congratulations to Joy Young on topping 100,000 views on this great poem! You can check out more of Joy’s work here, here and here.
And while you’re here, make sure to check out the rest of our books and merch as well, including our awesome t-shirts and poster and new books by Jacqui Germain and Hanif Abdurraqib!
Performing at Art Share LA.
“Shouldn’t heaven be super heavy by now?”
Don’t miss this stunning poem by Ocean Vuong, performing at the Button Poetry/YesYes Books showcase at AWP 2016 in Los Angeles. Check out some of Ocean’s thoughts on poetry and more, here.
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.
