Akeem Olaj – Vampires

Performed at IWPS 2019 in San Diego, CA

“She wanted me to smile so everyone around me could be a little bit more comfortable with my sadness.”

Don’t miss this poem from Akeem Olaj, performing at IWPS 2019 in San Diego, CA

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Lara Coley

Lara Coley is San Franciscan educator, living in France to save money on rent. She is a former fellow artist-in-residence at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts, Co-Curator for VelRo Weekly Reading Series, Editor-in-Chief of Transfer Magazine, and coordinator for the Poet in the City program. Her work is featured in journals including New American Writing, Rogue Agent, Love is the Drug Anthology, Visible Ink, Opium, and in operas composed by the SFSU music department. Lara is the recipient of awards including the Browning Society Prize for Dramatic Monologue, the Daniel J Langton Poetry Prize, and the League for Innovation Poetry Prize. Lara has taught ESL and led poetry workshops in juvenile detentions centers, high schools, universities, and mental health treatment centers. She holds an MFA in poetry from San Francisco State University and is currently pursuing her second masters to become a Marriage and Family Therapist.

Zoe Tagoe – My Voice

Performed at The Town Hall in New York, NY

“These words take hold of me and revoke the authenticity of my true self.”

Don’t miss this poem from Zoe Tagoe, performing at The Town Hall in New York, NY

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Ty Chapman

Ty Chapman is the author of SARAH RISING (Beaming 2022); LOOKING FOR HAPPY (Beaming 2023); A DOOR MADE FOR ME, written with Tyler Merritt (WorthyKids 2022); TARTARUS (Button Poetry 2024); as well as multiple forthcoming children’s books through various publishers. Ty was a finalist for Tin House’s 2022 Fall Residency, Button Poetry’s 2020 Chapbook Contest, and Frontier Magazine’s New Voices Contest.

Ty’s accomplishments also include being named a Loft Literary Center Mirrors & Windows fellow, Mentor Series fellow, and attending Vermont College of Fine Arts in pursuit of his Master’s Degree in Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults.

Rudy Francisco – Ode to the Block Button

Performed at Icehouse in Minneapolis, MN

“A reminder that sometimes, the best response is nothing at all, a blank screen that says ‘user not found.'”

Don’t miss this poem from Rudy Francisco, performing at Icehouse in Minneapolis, MN

Get Rudy’s book, Excuse Me As I Kiss The Sky.

Ollie Schminkey – I Find a Chunk of Bone the Width of My Index Finger

Performed at the Strike Theater in Minneapolis, MN

“On Thursday, I got into a car accident, and my hands already started calling him. I hung up before he couldn’t answer.”

Don’t miss this poem from Ollie Schminkey, performing at the Strike Theater in Minneapolis, MN

Get Ollie’s book, Dead Dad Jokes

Usman Hameedi – The Autobiography of My Eyebrows

Performed at Icehouse in Minneapolis, MN

“I re-emerged revolution in my ugly, Monarch Majesty butterfly brilliancelike I said I was.”

Don’t miss this poem from Usman Hameedi, performing at Icehouse in Minneapolis, MN

Get Usman’s book, Staying Right Here.

Darius Simpson – There’s Fires To Start

Performed at the Button Studio

“Rumor has it politicians don’t take too kindly to paper cuts or other proof that once upon a time they were mortal.”

Don’t miss this poem from Darius Simpson, performing at the Button Studio

Get Darius’s book, Never Catch Me

Sierra DeMulder – Waiting

Performed at Icehouse in Minneapolis, MN

“always wondering if this will be the last dusk without her.”

Don’t miss this poem from Sierra DeMulder, performing at Icehouse in Minneapolis, MN

Get Sierra’s book, Ephemera.