“Tell God, whoever he, or she, or they are, thanks, but next time, I won’t be seeing them soon.”
Congratulations to Akeemjamal Rollins on topping 500,000 views! You can check out more of his work here.
And while you’re here, make sure to check out our books and merch as well, including our awesome t-shirts (which are on a start-of-summer sale!) and new books by Jacqui Germain and Hanif Abdurraqib!
Performing at the 2016 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational.
“I could not hold back the blast forever.”
Don’t miss this amazing persona poem from Christopher Michael, performing as a sacrificial poem before a bout 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 (on sale for the start of summer!) in both female and unisex cuts, and books by many of your favorite Button artists.
Writing Prompt #1 (w/ Ollie Schminkey)
Hey Button fans! We know a lot of you are writers yourselves, and we’re excited to be launching a new series on this blog featuring writing prompts 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!
Today’s prompt comes courtesy of Ollie Schminkey. You can check out some of Ollie’s work on the Button channel here, here and here. The prompt is as follows:
Write a love letter to someone who has betrayed you.
What have they given you? What have they taken?
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!
Performing at the 2016 Women of the World Poetry Slam.
“Feminist dude has a lot to say about the plight of women, until you get him drunk, and then he has a lot to say about boobs.”
Don’t miss this brilliant poem from Sara Brickman, performing as a sacrificial poem before a bout 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 (on sale for the start of summer!) in both female and unisex cuts, and books by many of your favorite Button artists.
Performing at the 2016 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational
“The car of my body just won’t start, and I’m slamming on the dashboard waiting for some kind of spark, some kind of proof I didn’t just waste this.”
Don’t miss this excellent poem from Ollie Schminkey, performing for Macalester as part of the “Best of the Rest” during finals 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 (on sale for the start of summer!) in both female and unisex cuts, and books by many of your favorite Button artists.
It’s been a heavy week, full of loss and pain. Thankfully, we have beautiful artists out there, doing important work to pull us through and give us new language to cope. This week’s round-up is for those mourning after the homophobic attack on Pulse club during their Latin Dance night in Orlando.
“Surviving on Small Joys” by Hanif Abdurraqib – Back at it again with a beautiful, urgent essay on surviving under oppression, Hanif talks about the value of momentary distraction, silly panda videos, and sharing space with others, even when the grief is too large to talk about.
Two Micros by Safia Elhillo –Micros, at their best, function as a poetic snapshot. In these two pieces, Safia offers us snapshots of grieving, and what it means to mourn in safe spaces and in hostile ones. If this is not enough eloquence on loss, check out her full feature set, “Alien Suite”, from CUPSI 2016 finals stage.
“Labor Day” by Sam Sax –Published in Guernica, Sam’s usual flowing style is turned to history, tracing the path of Labor Day, ending in one of the most gorgeous lines: “ any word / traced to its origin is a small boy begging for water.” Congrats to Sam on his forthcoming book bury it, due out next fall through Wesleyan University Press! You can check out his Button chapbook here.
“Restored Mural For Orlando” by Roy Guzman “…how for me a church is a roof that’s always collapsing.” An MFA candidate at the University of Minnesota, Roy grew up in Florida. This sweeping poem documents how the massacre, Orlando as a city, queerness, and what it is to be a POC intersected for him in this moment. It is a poem to hold grief, rage, and also the things that give us the power to keep living.
30 Over 30: Poet’s Edition by Jocelyn Mosman – If you’ve been to a poetry slam, you’ve probably heard the MC tell the audience about a man who founded poetry slam named Marc Smith and the audience response of “SO WHAT?” But who is this Marc Smith? Who were the folks originally competing in slam alongside him? Who are the current leaders and long-standing slammers around now? This list will tell you, with videos of each poet included.
Summer Classes at the Loft Literary Center – Summer session at Minneapolis’ finest writing center begins next week. Classes include The Art of Imitation, The Craft of Poetry, and more. Not a local? Fear not!! There are online opportunities as well.
Thanks for stopping by to spend a little time with us, and thank you to the brilliant folks out there trying to make sense, if not of violence, of what it takes to survive it. Take care of yourselves, drink water, and come back next week for more poetry updates.
Jesse Parent’s “To the Boys Who May One Day Date My Daughter” is one of the most-viewed poems on our channel, with over 3,000,000 views to date. Check out a few other great poems by or for dads below to celebrate Father’s Day!
G. Yamazawa – “The Bridge”
“My father is a chef. He’ll add extra syllables to his sentences like seasoning, something that tastes better in his mouth.”
William Evans – “Sickle”
“I stopped punishing my daughter for saying no in hopes that she never feels there’s a time she can’t say it.”
Phil Kaye – “Surplus”
“My grandfather was not a strong man, but he knew what it meant to build.”
Tui Scanlan – “Legacy”
“Anger will make you strong, but love will make you powerful.”
“Do not be okay, because heartbreak is not about being okay. It’s about remembering you were okay before.”
Congratulations to Victoria Morgan on topping 250,000 views! You can check out more excellent poems on love in our Love Poems Playlist.
And while you’re here, make sure to check out our books and merch as well, including our awesome t-shirts (which are on a start-of-summer sale!) and new books by Jacqui Germain and Hanif Abdurraqib!
Performing at the 2016 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational
“Depression was the storm, but my name
was the home my family gave me to survive it.”
Don’t miss this powerful poem from Sarah Ogutu, performing for the University of Minnesota during prelims 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 (on sale for the start of summer!) in both female and unisex cuts, and books by many of your favorite Button artists.
