Javon Johnson – “Debt” (Button Live)

Performing at Button Poetry Live.

“When tuition is steadily rising and starting salaries are dropping, degrees become no different than a designer bag: a cheap fashion statement not even worth a trip to the mall.”

Don’t miss this great new poem from Javon Johnson, performing at Button Poetry Live, November 2016. If you’re in the Twin Cities, don’t miss the next Button Poetry Live show, first Monday of every month in downtown Saint Paul.

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 & more.

Javon Johnson – “Black and Happy” (Button Live)

Featuring at Button Poetry Live.

“You cannot kill blackness.
Too much of it is wrapped in an unshakable joy.
And ain’t that why they think we magic in the first place?”

Don’t miss this stunning poem from Javon Johnson, featuring at Button Poetry Live, November 2016. If you’re in the Twin Cities, don’t miss the next Button Poetry Live show, first Monday of every month in downtown Saint Paul.

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.

Javon Johnson – “When the Cancer Comes” (Button Live)


Performing at Button Poetry Live
“At this rate, we will have to lower our dead into ground
they could not afford to live in.”
Don’t miss this amazing poem from Javon Johnson, performing at Button Poetry Live, July 2016. If you’re in the Twin Cities, don’t miss the live show, every first Monday at 8:00 PM in downtown Saint Paul.
While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out all 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.

Javon Johnson – “Building” (100K Views!)

Javon Building 100k

“There are days when my heart feels like it’s swallowing itself, when the lonely feels like both the problem and the cure.”

Congratulations to Javon Johnson on topping 100,000 views on YouTube! Check out more of his work here and here.

Make sure to check out our books and merchandise in the Button Store!

VIRAL E-Book Special Preview

Only two days until the release of Button’s first eBook! VIRAL features new and classic work from Lily Myers, Neil Hilborn, Javon Johnson, Rachel Rostad, Dylan Garity, Guante and Pages Matam. Today, we wanted to offer everyone a sneak preview of the book, with the foreword from Button Head Editor Michael Mlekoday. We might just be turning into a couple of softies, but we actually teared up reading this for the first time (and, you know, again right now).

-Sam & Dylan

Click here to read the foreword

VIRAL Poems Cover