Phil Kaye – “Teeth”

Performing at Gray Area

“Fear of joy is the darkest of captivities.”

Don’t miss this incredible poem from Phil Kaye, performing at Gray Area in San Francisco, CA.

Get your copy of Phil’s debut book, DATE & TIME, now available!

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Natasha T. Miller, Ollie Schminkey, Rudy Francisco, L.E. Bowman, Akosua Zimba Afiriyie-Hwedie, and our newest release from Topaz Winters!

Best of Button Week 368

“We can talk about guns, we can talk about access to mental health, but why aren’t we talking about men?”

Don’t miss this week’s Best of Button playlist, featuring the top-viewed recent videos on the Button YouTube Channel. Today’s addition: Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre! Congrats Poet!

Submit a cover of your favorite poem to our 2021 Button Poetry Cover Contest! Open NOW – May 16, 2022. More info and full guidelines here!

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Andrea Gibson, Andrea Gibson, Natasha T. Miller, Porsha Olayiwola, L.E. Bowman, Rudy Francisco, Rachel Wiley, and our newest release from Steven Willis!

Daniel – “Thanksgiving Dinner with Your Host, Bulimia”

Performing at Park Square Theatre

“Recovery is a choice. It is one you have to believe you can make for yourself. It is not sink or swim. It is getting out of the water.”

Don’t miss this powerful poem from Daniel, performing at Park Square Theatre in Saint Paul, MN

Submit a cover of your favorite poem to our 2021 Button Poetry Cover Contest! Open NOW – May 16, 2022. More info and full guidelines here!

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Rudy Francisco, Rachel Wiley, Dave Harris, Porsha Olayiwola, Ebony Stewart, Andrea Gibson, and our newest release from Steven Willis!

Ebony Stewart – “Burnt Sugar”

Performed at the Button Studio

“Is darkness only ever thought of as sinister? Or is my villain origin story placed in an idea that I should still have to save a world that excludes or refuses to choose me?”

Don’t miss this awesome poem from Ebony Stewart, performed at the Button Studio in Minneapolis, MN.

Ebony’s spectacular books, BloodFresh and Home.Girl.Hood. are now available!

Submit a cover of your favorite poem to our 2021 Button Poetry Cover Contest! Open NOW – May 16, 2022. More info and full guidelines here!

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Rudy Francisco, Rachel Wiley, Dave Harris, Porsha Olayiwola, Blythe Baird, Andrea Gibson, and our newest release from Steven Willis!

Tonya Ingram – Thirteen (1M Views!)

“The first said: you must be a man, as much as you want it. Then offered a glass of water, which is to say, ‘have I not baptized you enough?’”

Congratulations to Tonya Ingram for topping 1,000,000 views on this stunning poem! Watch more from Tonya here and here.

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Ollie Schminkey, Neil Hilborn, Dave Harris, Rachel Wiley, Ebony Stewart, Andrea Gibson, and our newest release from Steven Willis!

Patrick Roche – “Canonization”

Performed by Patrick Roche

“Saint of the quiet anxiety / Of the off-brand panic attack / Saint of attacking”

Don’t miss this great poem from Patrick Roche, performed and recorded in his home.

Get Patrick’s incredible book, A Socially Acceptable Breakdown.

Submit a cover of your favorite poem to our 2021 Button Poetry Cover Contest! Open NOW – May 16, 2022. More info and full guidelines here!

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Adam Falkner, Rachel Wiley, Dave Harris, Porsha Olayiwola, Blythe Baird, Ebony Stewart, and our newest release from Steven Willis!

Best of Button Week 367

“This is war by Copaganda. Turn your favorite Black radical into Officer Friendly. Give them a seat in middle-class America with a budget the size of a buddy cop film.”

Don’t miss this week’s Best of Button playlist, featuring the top-viewed recent videos on the Button YouTube Channel. Today’s addition: Steven Willis! Congrats Poet!

Submit a cover of your favorite poem to our 2021 Button Poetry Cover Contest! Open NOW – May 16, 2022. More info and full guidelines here!

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Andrea Gibson, Andrea Gibson, Natasha T. Miller, Porsha Olayiwola, L.E. Bowman, Rudy Francisco, Rachel Wiley, and our newest release from Steven Willis!

TaneshaNicole – “Calling in Black”

Performing at Park Square Theatre

“When I call into a job, it’s usually because I have a fever, cold, the flu, feel so fatigued it hurts to move. I cannot tell my boss that I am sick of being Black. Can’t tell her I won’t be in today because there’s another Trayvon, Charleston, Ferguson in my newsfeed.”

Don’t miss this great poem from Tanesha Nicole, performing Park Square Theatre in Saint Paul, MN.

Submit a cover of your favorite poem to our 2021 Button Poetry Cover Contest! Open NOW – May 16, 2022. More info and full guidelines here!

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Rudy Francisco, Rachel Wiley, Dave Harris, Porsha Olayiwola, Ebony Stewart, Andrea Gibson, and our newest release from Steven Willis!

Michael Mlekoday – “The Night the Owner of Our Second Favorite Bar Put Ten Bucks into the Jukebox”

Performed at the Button Studio

“‘Tom Purty,’ you called him, your body swelling with desire like your first acoustic in summer. The one you learned on until the neighbor boy smashed it like in the videos.”

Don’t miss this fantastic poem from Michael Mlekoday, performing at the Button Studio in Minneapolis, MN.

Get Michael’s incredible book, All Earthly Bodies.

Submit a cover of your favorite poem to our 2021 Button Poetry Cover Contest! Open NOW – May 16, 2022. More info and full guidelines here!

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Rudy Francisco, Rachel Wiley, Dave Harris, Porsha Olayiwola, Blythe Baird, Andrea Gibson, and our newest release from Steven Willis!

Alex Dang – “Everything Must Go” (100K Views!)

“This is far from your last supper. Everything must go. Nothing left except cold, hard cash.”

Congratulations to Alex Dang for topping 100,000 views on this fantastic poem! Watch more from Alex Dang here and here.

While you’re here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, including books by Ollie Schminkey, Neil Hilborn, Dave Harris, Rachel Wiley, Ebony Stewart, Andrea Gibson, and our newest release from Steven Willis!