“The world is trying to kill you.
It is trying to do this by stealing your voice.”
Congratulations to Melissa Newman-Evans on topping 250,000 views on this excellent poem! Check out more great work from Melissa here and here.
And while you’re here, make sure to check out our books and merch as well, including our awesome t-shirts and poster and new books by Jacqui Germain and Hanif Abdurraqib!
“You’ll be a party trick for parents, a disappearing act.”
Don’t miss this excellent poem from Taylor Seaberg, performing at Button Poetry Live. If you’re in the Twin Cities, make sure to check out our next show!
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.
“Got no chains on my feet but I still ain’t free.”
Don’t miss this excellent piece from Cameron Flowers, performing for Tufts at the 2016 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational.
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.
“If I were another person, I think I’d still be mentally ill. It’s impossible to imagine a color you haven’t seen.”
Don’t miss this week’s Best of Button playlist, featuring the top-viewed recent videos on the Button YouTube Channel. Today’s additions: Neil Hilborn & Ashe Vernon. 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!
“To be gendered is to answer every question before it is asked.”
Don’t miss this great poem from Max Binder & Morgan Crist, performing for Barnard during finals at the 2016 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational. Barnard placed 3rd overall in the tournament.
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 has taken me so long to say that I am proud to be black, to say it like it means something.”
Don’t miss this excellent poem from Dave Harris, performing at the former Soap Boxing Poetry Slam, now Button Poetry Live.
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.
Another week has passed, which can only mean one thing. It’s time for another Button Round-Up! This week we have some new poems, intriguing essays, and more!
Brooklyn Poets Reading Series for the NYC Poetry Festival
This one is for all our fans back in my hometown of NYC. The festival is open this weekend, and tomorrow starting at 11 AM on Governors Island will be a long feature set by the Brooklyn Poets. Why not enjoy poetry while basking outside in the summer sun?
“Beyond the Benefit” by Guante
Friend of Button and two-time National Poetry Slam champion Guante published an essay on his website this week challenging artists from all walks of life to become more active in building and maintaining various movements for change. Guante write, “I believe that as artists, we have more to offer than our art.” Give this a read, then get out there and make a difference!
“In Service of Staying Alive” by Lynne Procope
Former National Poetry Slam champion Lynne Procope recently published this poem in the Offing Magazine. Beautiful in message, “In Service of Staying Alive” also challenges form and has become one of the more uniquely written poems I’ve seen lately. Be sure to check this out if you’re looking for something a little different!
Three Poems by Nick Flynn
This week the internet was given not one, not two, but three new poems by the ever talented Nick Flynn. Two of the poems are closely tied to the theme of fatherhood, while the third is a critique of the modern day practice of wasting time as we “scroll, scroll, scroll.”
Inside the 2016 Man Booker Longlist by Arnav Adhikari and Tyler Parker
The Man Booker Prize is one of the most prestigious and sought after literary prizes in the world. The 2016 list of possible winners was recently released, and in this article many options are noted and briefly reviewed. Use this to fuel your next reading list! How many of these novels have you read?
“The story’s the thing at the Moth” by Niki Patton
This article is all about a different type of slam, story slams. The Moth, started in 1997, has since spread to many cities across the country and feature slam style bouts with storytelling rather than poetry as the main focus. Check out this article and support The Moth if they exist in your hometown!
And so ends another week’s worth of links and poems and fun times. I don’t know what you’ll take away from this Round-Up, but I sincerely hope it’s something you can use actively and positively moving forward. See you next week, when we’re all older and stronger!
“Someone’s gonna ask you how you did it.
How you’re doing it right now.”
Don’t miss this great poem from Angelique Palmer, performing at the 2016 Women of the World Poetry Slam.
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.
“Your body is a sky I want to sing into forever and
my body is that trembling song.”
Don’t miss this hilarious, beautiful poem from Jeremy Radin, performing at Art Share LA.
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 #2 (w/ Jesse Parent)
Hey Button fans! With the chapbook and video contests in full swing, 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 use it for either of your contest submissions!) You can check out responses to our previous prompt here.
Today’s prompt comes courtesy of Jesse Parent. For further inspiration, you can check out some of Jesse’s work on the Button channel here, here and here. The prompt is as follows:
Choose an object that has a lot of sentimental value to you and an object you bought in the last week (or most recently). Write a letter from the sentimental object to the object you just bought explaining who you are and how to take care of you. (Optional: leave a few lines at the end for the object you just bought to respond).
Again, feel free to share whatever you write in response to the prompt in the comments below this post (you can use an anonymous name if you’d prefer, and your email address won’t be public). We look forward to seeing your work!
