“Hold me down long enough and I’ll figure out how to turn these chains into a crown.”

Don’t miss this week’s Best of Button playlist, featuring the top-viewed recent videos on the Button YouTube Channel. Today’s addition: Ebony Stewart! Congrats Poet!

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Ollie Schminkey, Andrea Gibson, Natasha T. Miller, Porsha Olayiwola, L.E. Bowman, Dave Harris, Rachel Wiley, and our newest release from Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre!

Performed at the Button studio

“My dad doesn’t have a grave except the one inside my lungs. I visit the cemetery anyway.”

Don’t miss this powerful poem from Ollie Schminkey, performed at the Button studio.

Get Ollie’s stunning book, Dead Dad Jokes.

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Rudy Francisco, Neil Hilborn, Dave Harris, Porsha Olayiwola, Blythe Baird, Andrea Gibson, and our newest release from Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre!

2021 Button Poetry Video Contest

“What empty stomach will ask for food, for aid, for help, and instead receive a bomb, grain as gunpowder, medicine as poison? America gives no gifts.”

Don’t miss this incredible poem from Bitaniya Giday & Raya Tuffaha, Runners-Up from the 2021 Button Poetry Video Contest!

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Rudy Francisco, Rachel Wiley, Dave Harris, Porsha Olayiwola, Blythe Baird, Andrea Gibson, and our newest release from Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre!

Performing in Longmont, CO

“We need so much less than we take. We owe so much more than we give.”

Don’t miss this spectacular poem from Andrea Gibson, performing in Longmont, CO.

Get Andrea’s phenomenal book, You Better Be Lightning.

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Rudy Francisco, Neil Hilborn, Dave Harris, Porsha Olayiwola, Blythe Baird, Andrea Gibson, and our newest release from Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre!

Performing at Park Square Theatre

“How are you trying to convince me you’re my safe space when you’ve only put me in unsafe spaces?”

Don’t miss this fantastic poem from Lanise Prater, performing at Park Square Theatre in Saint Paul, MN.

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Sabrina Benaim, Rachel Wiley, Javon Johnson, Blythe Baird, Raych Jackson, and our newest release from Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre!

Performing at Icehouse

“We both thought we were pregnant. ‘What are the odds?’ We laughed, her feet on the dashboard, windows down, radio crying out for a lover, neither of us ready to be mothers yet.”

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

Sierra’s fantastic book, We Slept Here is now available!

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Rudy Francisco, Ebony Stewart, Dave Harris, Porsha Olayiwola, Blythe Baird, Rachel Wiley, and our newest release from Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre!

Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, storyteller Steven Antoine Willis uses his poetic and theatrical background to embark on the daunting task of creatively articulating African American culture. With art heavily influenced by urban life and religion, Steven mixes elements of hip-hop poetics and theatrical performance with formal teachings of anthropology, and political theory to help express his eclectic personal narrative. Willis is the author of the poetry collection, A Peculiar People, a contributing writer to the Breakbeat Poets Anthology, NYU’s National Council for Teachers of English Journal, is a 3 time Individual World Poetry Slam finalist and former resident poet of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe. Willis received his MFA in acting from the University of Iowa in 2021. He currently attends the Iowa Writers Workshop for poetry.

Performing at WoWPS 2020

“There are pieces of life worth living, and that we see people and things not as they are but proof for the truth we believe even though it’s a lie we allow.”

Don’t miss this powerful poem from Sara Lessmann, performing at WoWPS 2020 in Dallas, TX.

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Sabrina Benaim, Rachel Wiley, Javon Johnson, Blythe Baird, Raych Jackson, and our newest release from Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre!

“Tales from a Black woman working in higher ed…”

Don’t miss this week’s Best of Button playlist, featuring the top-viewed recent videos on the Button YouTube Channel. Today’s addition: Alex tha Great! Congrats Poet!

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Ollie Schminkey, Andrea Gibson, Natasha T. Miller, Porsha Olayiwola, L.E. Bowman, Javon Johnson, Kevin Kantor, and our newest release from Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre!