Olivia Gatwood – “Ode to Elise in Eighth Grade Health Class”

Performing at her Book Release Party.

“A profound observation, What are you, gay for me? As if my body could be flipped solely in the wake her, some kind of reverse conversion therapy.”

Don’t miss this wonderful poem from Olivia Gatwood, performing at her book release in St. Paul, MN.

Pick up your copy of Olivia’s book, New American Best Friend, now available!

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Neil Hilborn, Mahogany L. Browne, Hanif Abdurraqib, Jacqui Germain, Aaron Coleman, Donte Collins, Sabrina Benaim, William Evans, our newest release from Rudy Francisco & more.

Neil Hilborn – “For Henry” (Button Live)

Performing at Button Poetry Live.

“Someday I’m gonna have a child. She’s gonna have eyes like mine and such small hands. Just like she’ll need me alive then, she needs me alive now. I can’t say goodbye before I’ve had a chance to say hello.”

Don’t miss this beautiful poem from Neil Hilborn, performing at Button Poetry Live.

Make sure to check out Neil’s best-selling book, Our Numbered Days, now available! Keep an eye out for Neil’s forthcoming book, The Future, coming Spring 2018!

Send us your poems! The 2017 Button Poetry Chapbook Contest is now open for submissions. November 15th – January 5th, 2017-2018. Check out the full information and guidelines for the contest here!

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Neil Hilborn, Mahogany L. Browne, Olivia Gatwood, Hanif Abdurraqib, Jacqui Germain, Aaron Coleman, Donte Collins, Sabrina Benaim, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, our newest release from Rudy Francisco & more!

Donte Collins – “For Soft Boys”

Performing at his book release in Minneapolis.

“The thing about masks is someone always sees the string behind your head.”

Don’t miss this dazzling poem from Donte Collins, performing at his book release in Minneapolis.

Check out Donte’s book, Autopsy, now available everywhere!

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out all our books and merch, including books by Neil Hilborn, Danez Smith, Hanif Abdurraqib, Jacqui Germain, Sam Sax, Olivia Gatwood, Sabrina Benaim, Melissa Lozada-Olivia, William Evans, our newest release from Rudy Francisco, & more.

Blythe Baird – “When the Fat Girl Gets Skinny” (2 MILLION VIEWS!)

“If you develop an eating disorder when you are already thin to begin with, you go to the hospital. If you develop an eating disorder when you are not thin to begin with, you are a success story.”

Congratulations to Blythe Baird on topping 2 MILLION views on this powerful poem. Watch more videos from Blythe here and here.

Send us your poems! The 2017 Button Poetry Chapbook Contest is now open for submissions. November 15th – January 5th, 2017. Check out the full information and guidelines for the contest here!



And while you’re here, make sure to check out our other books and merch as well, including our awesome t-shirts and poster and books by Jacqui Germain, Hanif Abdurraqib, Olivia Gatwood, Donte Collins, Sabrina Benaim, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, William Evans, and our newest release from Rudy Francisco!

Vanessa Tahay – “Inside My House” (Get Lit)

Performing at the 2017 Get Lit Classic Slam.

“When this tongue speaks, it sings the stories of my ancestors, it prophesizes the lives of my coming generations.”

Don’t miss this stellar poem from Vanessa Tahay, performing during the finals of the 2017 Get Lit Words Ignite Classic Slam, the largest youth poetry tournament in Southern California. Order Get Lit Rising today at simonandschuster.com, and join the #LiteraryRiot at getlit.org.

Want to get your book published on Button? The 2017 Button Poetry Chapbook Contest is now open for submissions. November 15th – January 5th, 2017-2018. Check out the full information and guidelines for the contest here!

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out all our books and merch, including books by Neil Hilborn, Danez Smith, Olivia Gatwood, Hanif Abdurraqib, Donte Collins, Sabrina Benaim, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, William Evans, our newest release from Rudy Francisco & more.

In-Depth Look: Mitcholos – “Cacophony”

In-Depth Look: Mitcholos – “Cacophony”

Appreciating poetry is often about patience: sitting with a poem, meditating on it, and re-reading it multiple times. With spoken word, we don’t always get a chance to do that. This series is about taking that chance, and diving a little deeper into some of the new poems going up on Button.

I need you to understand that this cacophony is the new language of my people.

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Write-up by Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre

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I’m struck by this line near the end of the poem: “I don’t want you to apologize in English, or Canadian French; I want you to open your eyes.” As more and more events (including poetry slams and other spoken word events) adopt the practice of acknowledging the land and its original inhabitants, it feels like that line is an important addendum to that practice: it isn’t just about apologizing, or “acknowledging” colonialism and genocide; it’s about the more difficult work of taking a critical look at our everyday actions, our organizational practices, and beyond, to see how they either continue or interrupt that legacy.

The poem as a whole reflects this intentionality of thought, juxtaposing past and present, through the powerful image of the death of a color. What could be a challenging, abstract idea for a poem to build itself around is supported by wave after wave of concrete, narrative imagery– from the evocative use of the word “splatter,” to the family snapshots, to the video itself, which does interesting things with negative space and color.

Find more from Mitcholos here. Additionally, for people interested in the point about moving “beyond territorial acknowledgements,” here is some writing on that.

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While you’re here on our site, make sure to check out our books and merchandise in the Button Store, including Guante’s own book, as well as titles by Danez Smith, Neil Hilborn, Donte Collins, Sabrina Benaim, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, William Evans, and our newest release from Rudy Francisco!

Neil Hilborn – “Me, But Happy” (500K Views!)

“We can’t really be sad if we’re both sad in the same place, right?”

Congratulations to Neil Hilborn on topping 500,000 views on this remarkable poem. Check out more videos from Neil here and here!

Make sure to check out Neil’s best-selling book, OUR NUMBERED DAYS, available wherever books are sold!

Send us your poems! The 2017 Button Poetry Chapbook Contest is now open for submissions. November 15th – January 5th, 2017. Check out the full information and guidelines for the contest here!



And while you’re here, make sure to check out our other books and merch as well, including our awesome t-shirts and poster and books by Jacqui Germain, Hanif Abdurraqib, Olivia Gatwood, Donte Collins, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, William Evans, and our newest release from Rudy Francisco!

Edwin Gwira Tamattey – “Gas Laws”

2016 Button Poetry Video Contest.

“Why do these men keep telling me that pressure is inversely proportional to volume when every morning I wake up, the expanding volume of my thoughts feels like a ship drowning in my skull?”

Don’t miss this incredible poem by Edwin Gwira Tamattey, featured contestant in the 2016 Button Poetry Video Contest.

Send us your poems! The 2017 Button Poetry Chapbook Contest is now open for submissions. November 15th – January 5th, 2017-2018. Check out the full information and guidelines for the contest here!

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out all our books and merch, including books by Neil Hilborn, Danez Smith, Olivia Gatwood, Hanif Abdurraqib, Donte Collins, Sabrina Benaim, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, William Evans, our newest release from Rudy Francisco & more.

Best of Button Week 143

“When people ask me how I’m doing, I want to say, this sadness is the only clean shirt I have left and my washing machine has been broken for months.”




Don’t miss this week’s Best of Button playlist, featuring the top-viewed recent videos on the Button YouTube Channel. Today’s additions: Rudy Francisco and Jared Singer!

Want to get your book published on Button? The 2017 Button Poetry Chapbook Contest is now open for submissions. November 15th – January 5th, 2017-2018. Check out the full information and guidelines for the contest here!

While you’re here on our site, make sure to check out our books and merchandise in the Button Store, including books by Danez Smith, Olivia Gatwood, Neil Hilborn, Donte Collins, Sabrina Benaim, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, William Evans, our newest release from Rudy Francisco and more!

Sam Rush – “The Best Way to Treat Bedbugs” (Button Live)


Featuring at Button Poetry Live.

“The best way to treat bedbugs is to scream…uncontrollably…until you die.”

Don’t miss this amazing poem from Sam Rush, featuring at Button Poetry Live.

Send us your poems! The 2017 Button Poetry Chapbook Contest is now open for submissions. November 15th – January 5th, 2017-2018. Check out the full information and guidelines for the contest here!

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Neil Hilborn, Mahogany L. Browne, Olivia Gatwood, Hanif Abdurraqib, Jacqui Germain, Aaron Coleman, Donte Collins, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, William Evans & our newest release from Rudy Francisco and more.