Link Round-Up 7

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July is here! It’s a new month and poetry is still awesome. I know, big shock, right? With (hopefully) a long weekend to spend, here are some wonderful links for you to meander through.

SF Bart and LA Metro Got Into a Haiku Battle on Twitter – Poetry really is everywhere. In a brutal twitter fight, the transit systems for San Francisco and Los Angeles went at each other. It got pretty intense; LA even went after the still-fresh wounds of the NBA championship.

Two Micros by Ashlee Haze –In more bite-sized poetry news, here are two micros from Ashlee, Button YouTube favorite who was recently featured on the first track of Blood Orange’s new album, Freetown Sound. Here she uses the short form to clearly and sharply attack racism and sexism.

i be, but i ain’t review by Corrina Bain –Aziza Barnes, the original winner of the Exploding Pinecone chapbook prize here at Button, recently released her first full-length collection with YesYes books. The good folks at Muzzle wrote a wonderful review. If you’re the type of person who likes video tours and Google street views, this is the perfect review; Corrina guides you through the book, without giving away everything.

“A Decade After Prison, a Poet Studies for the Bar Exam” by Elisa Gonzalez – This profile of poet Reginald Dwayne Betts not only talks about his experience tying law into poetry as both a lawyer and a former prisoner, it talks about the ways in which society wants to consume black men’s experiences, but only certain narratives. I know I want to buy his books now, and I think you will too.

Commonplace Episode 2 ft. Nick Flynn – There’s something special about getting to hear a poet not just read their work, but talk about it. I find podcasts add a level of intimacy to an interview, or maybe just humanity. Nick Flynn is one of my favorite poets, and it was a joy to hear him talk about his latest poetry collection, My Feelings, which will be reviewed on our own website this month.

“Pearl & Ash” by Diana Keren Lee – For a lazy Sunday, a gorgeous, lilting poem that feels like a beautiful room in the summer. This is the first poem by Diana Keren Lee that I’ve read, but it definitely won’t be my last.

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.

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Anna Binkovitz is a poet and Button staffer living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She loves pizza, red wine, and honest writing with a lyrical twist.

Rob Mitchell – “To the Black Kid in the Mirror” (Button Poetry Live)

Performing at Button Poetry Live, April 2016.

“You convinced yourself the higher your test scores got,
the lighter your skin would turn.”

Don’t miss this great poem from Rob Mitchell, performing at Button Poetry Live, our monthly live show in Saint Paul. 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.

Chrysanthemum Tran – “Vampires” (CUPSI 2016)

Performing at CUPSI 2016.

“When was the last time you saw a face like mine without the glow of a mob’s torch?”

Don’t miss this amazing poem from Chrysanthemum Tran, performing for Brown 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.

Best of Button Week 70


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“My vanity’s insanity unless it helps get you off.”
Don’t miss this week’s Best of Button playlist, featuring the top-viewed recent videos on the Button YouTube Channel. Today’s additions: Shay Alexi Stewart & Mercedez Holtry. Congratulations poets!
While you’re here on our site, make sure to check out our books and merchandise in the Button Store, including books by Aziza Barnes, Danez Smith, Neil Hilborn and our JUST-RELEASED book from Jacqui Germain!

Danez Smith – “Oooooh, You Look Like” (AWP 2016)

Performing at AWP 2016.

“Just what the fuck does Kenneth look like?”
Don’t miss this hilarious poem from Danez Smith, performing 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, including Danez!

Emily Eastman – “The First Time”

Performing at the 2016 Women of the World Poetry Slam.

“The difference between a dream and wakefulness:
we know it’s real if it hurts.”
Don’t miss this great poem from Emily Eastman, performing at the Women of the World 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.

Soré Agbaje – “I Was Born” (CUPSI 2016)

Performing at the 2016 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational.

“Once you are used to the idea of losing things, it no longer holds its value.”
Don’t miss this powerful poem from Soré Agbaje, performing for Brooklyn College 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.

Link Round-Up 6

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Howdy friends! It’s been another great week in the world of poetry, and we are super excited to share some of the gems we stumbled upon online.

Three Poems by Hanif Abdurraqib – That’s right, it is physically impossible to go one week without Hanif absolutely wrecking you with his brilliant writing. This week, it’s three poems up at Public Pool.

Beech Street Review –William James, Angelique Palmer, and Mckendy Fils-Aime are the editors of a brand new literary journal, and they just opened their submissions for the first quarterly issue! Looking for inspiration to send them a poem? Check out our writing prompt from Ollie Schminkey!

“All These Bodies” by Taylor Steele –I was lucky enough to see this poem performed live at Rustbelt Regional Poetry Slam in Columbus, and trust me, you’re never going to be ready for this captivating and brilliant writing and performance. Thanks to fellow poetry org SlamFind for the awesome video!

Ten Trans, Non-Binary, Gender Non-Conforming, Gender Fluid, and Genderqueer Poets You Need to Hear – That’s right, in addition to writing and performing beautiful poems, Taylor also has a column over at Medium where she highlights the best of the best when it comes to poetry. This installment focuses on giving some credit to an often uncelebrated and erased part of the poetry community. Meet your new favorite poets!

“A Way of Thanking the Pig” by Emily O’Neill – Emily’s work has been published all over, and this poem about honoring the animals we eat appeared in the initial issue of Tap Lit magazine. If you want to get to know Emily more, you can check out her amazing review of Jay Deshpande’s “Love the Stranger” that she was kind enough to write for us last week.

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.

Button semicolon logo Transparent (2)

Anna Binkovitz is a poet and Button staffer living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She loves pizza, red wine, and honest writing with a lyrical twist.

Alex Dang & Dante Douglas – “The Shotgun Cabinet” (CUPSI 2016)

Performing at the 2016 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational.

“Choke a running faucet, and you come out with clean hands.”
Don’t miss this excellent poem from Alex Dang and Dante Douglas, performing as part of the “Best of the Rest” during finals 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 (on sale for the start of summer!) in both female and unisex cuts, and books by many of your favorite Button artists.