Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, writer, and dessert enthusiast from Columbus, Ohio. He is 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 the pushcart prize, and his poem “Hestia” won the 2014 Capital University poetry prize. His first collection of poems, The Crown Ain’t Worth Much, was released by Button Poetry in 2016. He wants to talk to you about the Cincinnati Bengals and your top 5 albums.
Performing at CUPSI 2016.
“Mother says I’m not sick. Mother says sick is bad. Mother says sick people go to sleep.”
Don’t miss this stunning poem from Arvind Nandakumar, performing for UC Berkeley at the 2016 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational. Subscribe to us on YouTube to stay up to date on all these amazing performances.
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.
Hello, hello, hello! Welcome back to Button’s Round-Up, your friendly collection of poems, essays, and more from around the web. Dive on in, I’m sure you’ll read something here that will pique your interest this weekend!
A Reading List for America by Maira Liriano
This week, in response to the current racial tension in America, the New York Public Library has released a reading list to help foster literacy of the Black American experience. The body of works is diverse; hopefully you can find time to read them all!
“& O, bright star of disaster, I have been lit.” by Franny Choi
Often seen on the Button YouTube channel and always a brilliant poet, Franny Choi had a poem featured in The Paris-American this week. After, Lo Kwa Mei-En, Franny’s piece is a representation of struggle to find oneself, to truly exist as an individual and not as a sponge or a marionette.
“Principles” by Danez Smith
Danez Smith is back in the Round-Up this week. Much like last week, Danez has gifted us with poetry that desperately needs to be read. There is a reason why Danez’s poetry is so poignant these days; hopefully, we can all learn something after reading his words.
“Speaking Into the World” by Eve Ewing
In this essay, Chicago-born poet Eve Ewing questions stigma about the legitimacy of slam poetry. Why categorize a poem as either a page poem or a slam poem? Is there a stigma against the act of performance? Read the essay and find out!
“The Glorious, Impossible Escape of Nelly and the Columbus Symphony Orchestra” by Hanif Abdurraqib
Hanif Abdurraqib is back this week with another beautiful essay. Once again, Hanif writes about the ways art can be used as a conduit for healing and hope in these trying times. This essay is a praise of the arts, specifically “art as spectacle, grand and risky enough to let me leave the sadness behind for two small hours.” Hanif’s debut book is officially released in two days; get your copy now!
“Jamila Woods Searches for ‘Heavn’ on Debut Album” by Brian Josephs
Poet, writer, and activist Jamila Woods recently released her first album, Heavn, featuring fellow Chicago based musicians like Chance the Rapper, Saba, and Donnie Trumpet. This article not only has an eloquent review by Brian Josephs, but also has the entire album on SoundCloud embedded right onto the page. Give it a listen and see if you agree with Josephs’ review.
And with that, we close out another week of poetry and poetry-adjacent wonders from across the internet. Check back with us next Saturday for a new, exciting installment!
Spencer Brownstein is a poet, student, and Button staffer living in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He loves beanies, dogs, and a nice cigarette after dinner.
Performing at CUPSI 2016.
“Because no one wants to clean for a living, but they do want to live.”
Don’t miss this powerful poem from Jonathan Mendoza & Joaquina Mertz, performing for Berklee College of Music as part of the “Best of the Rest” on finals stage at the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational. Subscribe to us on YouTube to stay up to date on all these amazing performances.
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.
Performing at CUPSI 2016.
“My body is selfish, it knows only how to take and never gives.”
Don’t miss this beautiful poem from Kate Hao, performing for Washington University during semifinals at the 2016 College Unions Poetry Slam. Subscribe to us on YouTube to stay up to date on all these amazing performances.
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.
Performing at AWP 2016.
“And just because we know how the story goes
doesn’t mean I won’t say the words.”
Don’t miss this beautiful poem from Button author Cam Awkward-Rich (whose book is available here), performing during the Button Poetry/YesYes Books showcase at the 2016 Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference. Subscribe to us on YouTube to stay up to date on all these amazing performances.
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.
“How can you even enjoy the tender caress of a young maiden when you can’t even brush against her without your ashy nipples igniting a fire in her baby hairs?”
Congratulations to Kai Davis on topping 100,000 views on this hilarious poem! Check out another great video featuring Kai 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!
Performing at WOWPS 2016.
“Forget about walking a mile in my shoes, your ass wouldn’t last one step outside the front door in my skin.”
Don’t miss this great poem from iCon, performing at the 2016 Women of the World Poetry Slam, where she placed 4th overall. Subscribe to us on YouTube to stay up to date on all these amazing performances.
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.
Performing at Button Poetry Live.
“I feel its snarl down my throat, recite the list of rules I use to keep the beast at bay.”
Don’t miss this excellent poem from Greg Harries, performing at Button Poetry Live, May 2016. Subscribe to us on YouTube to stay up to date on all these amazing performances.
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.
This last week has been full of high highs and low lows throughout the world. Hopefully these links can help you find comfort in tragedy or excitement for the future. Regardless, the poetry is still beautiful and awesome! Enjoy!
Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowships Announcement
Let’s start this week by celebrating the success of young poets! On September 1st, the five winners of these two fellowships will be announced and awarded $25,800 each to pursue the study and writing of poetry. Among the finalists is Button author Sam Sax!
Voicemail Poems Summer 2016
Founded by jamie j. mortara in April, 2012, Voicemail Poems collects and shares poetry in a unique and lovely way. They set up a phone number (1-910-703-POEM) that anyone can call and record a poem over voicemail. Maybe you can be featured in their next compilation!
“It Doesn’t Feel Like A Time To Write” by Danez Smith
Though we have shared this piece in a previous Link Round-Up, considering the tragedies of the past week, we thought this poem needed to be shared again. Thank you Danez for this beautiful piece, and may Alton Sterling and Philando Castile rest in power.
“Houna Baghdad” by Jehan Bseiso
A few days ago ISIS bombed a busy street in Baghdad, Iraq, killing over 160 people. Days later, The Guardian released a map detailing every death by car bomb in Baghdad since 2003. Jehan Bseiso’s poem “Houna Baghdad” is a chilling piece both capturing the essence of such a tragedy and reminding readers that this is not a new phenomena, that things must change.
“Chicago’s Streetwise Poets are Breaking the Cycle of Violence and Pain in their Neighborhoods” by Demetrius Amparan
Demetrius Amparan is the Director of Publications and Communications at Young Chicago Authors, and organization that aids Chicago youths to find their voices through poetry. Work like Demetrius’ is a timely reminder that the next generations are still writing and finding ways to express and empower themselves and others. Check out Demetrius’ essay and learn more about Young Chicago Authors!
“Black Life on Film: Ice Cube and 25 Years of Boyz N The Hood” by Hanif Abdurraqib
Button author Hanif Abdurraqib wrote another essay for MTV this week covering his experience growing up with Ice Cube and Boyz N The Hood. Though neither the piece nor the film in question have a necessarily happy ending, there is still a sense of comfort knowing that there is still hope in loyalty and community, hope that has not vanished over the past quarter century.
Thanks for taking time out of your day to peruse poetry related things! It’s readers like you that make works like these possible. Check back with us next week for even more poetry related things from all around the internet!
Spencer Brownstein is a poet, student, and Button staffer living in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He loves beanies, dogs, and a nice cigarette after dinner.