Hi, hello and welcome to the new Button Poetry weekly link round-up! We’ll be scouring the internet, finding the coolest news in poetry, spoken word, and the Minneapolis-Saint Paul literary world. As we kick things off, it’s impossible to miss the fact that we are now a month out from losing the Purple One, Prince. We’d like to dedicate this week’s post to him, featuring some great content speaking to his legacy.
The Night Prince Walked On Water – Last month over at MTV, Button author Hanif Abdurraqib decided to bless us with this tribute to Prince, and his famous half-time performance.
Purple Elegy – Featured in the Paris Review, this striking, concentrated elegy by Rowan Ricardo Phillips bridges the space between the music of Prince and the music of the page.
The Poetry Gods – This is a new project created by Jon Sands, Jose Olivarez, and Button author Aziza Barnes. While every single episode is the coolest party you’ve ever dreamed of being invited to, we especially recommend listening to Episode 5, featuring Josh Bennett and some reflections on the poetics of physics.
Lit Crawl MN – A special heads-up to our Twin Cities dwellers! On June 4th, the first ever Lit Crawl MN will be taking place in various Minneapolis venues. Expect shenanigans from Coffeehouse Press, The Loft Literary Center, and our dear friends in performance poetry, Wordsprout. And that is just the beginning!
Lessons From Indie Poetry Presses: Poetry 2016 – Button was honored with a shout-out in this article discussing the special challenges and opportunities of running a small press. Not only do you get to hear from our editor, Michael Mlekoday, you can also learn about other great presses out there and the amazing artists they work with.
These Are the Biggest Misconceptions About College Women – In case you didn’t know, Button YouTube regular Crystal Valentine is amazing. She was named one of Glamour’s “College Women of the Year.” Here is a piece in which Crystal and some other amazing young women speak to their experiences as students, activists, and awesome people.
Slam Camp: A Performance Poetry Intensive – Are you or do you know a poet in high school? Then do yourselves and them favor and take a look at this summer camp. Run by Button author Sierra DeMulder and Adam Henze, this camp gives young writers a chance to work with some of the best poets in the game; Melissa Lozada-Oliva, Hieu Nguyen, G Yamazawa, and more!
Anna Binkovitz is a poet and Button staffer living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She loves pizza, red wine, and honest writing with a lyrical twist.
