“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 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.
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.
It’s been another great week in the world of poetry, and it just keeps getting better! Take a gander at some of these links to kick off your summery weekend.
Small Press Distribution Staff Picks – Button author Jacqui Germain’s new release, When the Ghosts Come Ashore, was selected by Small Press Distribution for their recommended books. Included is a review by Janice Worthen. Check it out, and then order yourself a copy from our online store!
BeHeard Team Send-Off Show, June 17th – For our local fans, BeHeard is the Twin Cities’ own youth slam team, and they are ridiculously talented. They are gearing up to head to the Brave New Voices national youth slam competition and festival in Washington D.C. and this is your chance to send them off right!
Maps For Teeth Submissions –If you’ve been jotting down pretty lines and are looking for an online home for them, Maps For Teeth has a solution for you! Submissions for this online literary magazine are open for one more week. Join the ranks of poets such as Melissa Newman-Evans, Adam Tedesco, and Noel Quinones.
Jamila Woods Gives Us #BlackGirlMagic Anthem – Jamila Woods is a member of the Dark Noise collective, and her work spans poetry and music. She recently released the video for her song “Blk Girl Soldier,” and the good folks over at the Black Youth Project did a brief write-up on the video, including links to other songs by Woods and an interview with her in Complex.
AWP Podcast Series Episode 121 – Recorded at the 2016 Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference in Los Angeles, this podcast features readings from Ross Gay, Tarfia Faizullah, Jamaal May, and others as a part of the 12 year anniversary reading of the Fishouse, an online audio library of emerging poets.
Redbone Stones by Mahogany Browne – Write About Now poetry, a slam and open mic venue in Houston, Texas, and one of our Button Live Supporters, took amazing video of this month’s Button Poetry Live feature and Button Author, Mahogany Browne, reading. So if you missed the livestream on Monday, here’s a chance to get your badass poetry performance fix!
“How do we forgive ourselves for all of the things we did not become?”
Congratulations to Doc Luben on topping 500,000 views! Check out more of Doc’s work here and here. And make sure to check out our books and merch as well, including new books by Jacqui Germain and Hanif Abdurraqib!
