round-up - Button Poetry

Button Round-Up 15

Posted on August 28, 2016

Hello, and welcome back to another exciting week of poetry! What are you waiting for? Get clicking!

“Poetry as Dialogue: Some Thoughts on Chapbooks” by Heather Bowlan
To start off the week, here is a brief article on the history and function of chapbooks. One chapbook that’s specifically analyzed is black movie by Danez Smith, former winner of Button’s Chapbook contest (this year’s contest is open for three more days!)

The Adroit Journal’s 2016 Best of the Net Nominees
The Adroit Journal released its list of nominees for its Best of the Net Anthology, an annual collection of works from around the internet. This year’s list includes Button regulars Fatimah Asghar, Hieu Minh Nguyen, and Sam Sax. Congratulations poets!

“A New Center for Black Poetics” by Tara Jayakar
Earlier this year, three poets, Dawn Lundy Martin, Terrance Hayes, and Yona Harvey, founded the Center for African American Poetry and Poetics (CAAPP). The CAAPP is meant to be “a creative think tank to spark conversation and collaboration among poets and other artists, and to promote and archive the work of African American poets for future generations.” Check out more of the CAAPP’s work and history in this article!

2016 National Poetry Series Open Competition
This week, the National Poetry Series announced its winners of the 2016 Open Competition. Among the winners is a Button author, the ever-brilliant Sam Sax. Congratulations Sam!

“Writing to be Read Aloud” by Pat Thomson
In this blog post, Pat Thomson writes about the difficult differences between writing for the page and writing for speech. Though this is technically about academic writing and lectures, I think it has some interesting implications for page and spoken word poetry. What are your thoughts?

“Mom” by Alyesha Wise & Aman Batra
All Def Poetry recently uploaded a video of this stunning poem about feminist motherhood and raising feminist daughters. Check out the poem, and this lovely write up by Jenavieve Hatch.

“Rest in Peace, Max Ritvo” by Daniel Slager
We’re closing out this week’s Round Up with somber news. The brilliant young poet Max Ritvo unfortunately passed away earlier this week. The entire Button team is sending condolences and love to all of Max’s friends and family.

And it is here that we part ways. As always, I hope you have enjoyed yourself and maybe even learned a thing or two.

Spencer Brownstein is a poet, student, and Button staffer living in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He loves beanies, dogs, and a nice cigarette after dinner.

Button Round-Up 14

Posted on August 21, 2016

It’s the weekend, so you know what that means, another installment of Button’s Round-Up! This week we have lots of poems, some articles, and more! Enjoy!

Slam Poetry: A new generation of multicultural poets empowered through the spoken word
This article comes all the way from Australia. It covers a lot of ground concerning the impact of slam poetry in Australia, such as it’s place in bridging racial divides. It’s refreshing to read a story about slam poetry not focused on America!

Three Poems by Jonathan Jacob Moore
Here are three poems by Jonathan Jacob Moore, also known as Jon Jon. The poems are titled “frank ocean and all black things that disappear on their own”, “owed to the work”, and “ghazal for bitchboi”. Enjoy!

Storytelling & Bookmaking Field Trips
This one is for educators and parents in the Boston area. Designed for grades 1-4, 826 Boston offers a two-hour workshop that will help young students create their own books! This is a wonderful opportunity to show young kids the power and fun behind creating books outside of the classroom.

Pinwheel Journal Issue 11
The latest issue of Pinwheel Journal was released this week. The list features Button poet Hanif Abdurraqib, and (for the second time this week) Hieu Minh Nguyen and sam sax! Once again, congratulations poets!

“Why We Need The Get Down’s Hip-Hop Myths” by Hanif Abdurraqib
Speaking of Hanif, he recently had a new essay published by MTV. The essay is about The Get Down and the cultural importance of myths like the origins of rap and hip-hop. Thank you, Hanif, for this amazing piece.

And that’s it for this week’s round-up! I hope you enjoyed all the reading material. See you again next week!

Spencer Brownstein is a poet, student, and Button staffer living in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He loves beanies, dogs, and a nice cigarette after dinner.

Button Round-Up 13

Posted on August 14, 2016

Welcome back to another exciting installment of the Button Round-Up! This week we have some poems, an interview, and an Olympian! What are you waiting for? Get clicking!

“The Fireside Fiction Report: A Reader/Critic’s Perspective” by L.E.H Light
I genuinely hope those among you in any sort of publishing field take note of this first article. Recently, the Fireside Fiction Report revealed that out of 2,039 stories published in 2015, only 38 were written by black authors. Light’s commentary is smart and needed; check out and share this article, and hopefully some change can come.

Kevin Kantor Inspired By
This week, Kevin got an artist’s profile done by the people over at Ori Media. Though short, it is a compelling video, one that hopefully makes you want to check out Kevin’s amazing work. You can find some of his poems back at our YouTube channel!

The Flambard Poetry Prize
The Flambard Press, one of the UK’s most largely recognized independent presses, has opened submissions for poets who have not yet been published to have their first shot. Submissions will be open until October 31st. Check out the link for more details!

“Surviving the Survival” by David Winter
This week, The Poetry Foundation’s David Winter sat down for an interview with the brilliant poet Ocean Vuong. Ocean opens up about fear, family, self love, and more interesting topics. Read the interview, and check out some more of Ocean’s work when you’re done (and don’t miss our own interview between Ocean and Button author Hanif Abdurraqib).

Poems by Joshua Jennifer Espinoza
The Infoxicated Corner at The The Poetry released a poetry spotlight on the works of Joshua Jennifer Espinoza this week. The spotlight includes three poems, which should make for some nice weekend afternoon reading.

“Road to Rio is paved with poetry for runner Alexi Pappas” by Mary Jo Brooks
To round out this Round-Up, here’s a topical story about both the Olympics and poetry (bet you didn’t think I’d find one of those!) Alexi Pappas, an American long distance runner, recounts how poetry was a part of her life before track and how it continues to inspire and push her.

Is it over already? Looks like we’ll both have to check in again next week to see what wonderful links and articles the Internet has in store for us. See you then!

Spencer Brownstein is a poet, student, and Button staffer living in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He loves beanies, dogs, and a nice cigarette after dinner.

Button Round-Up 12

Posted on August 6, 2016

Welcome to the first Button Round-Up of August! As the summer pushes on and the heat covers us all in a layer of sweat, why not kick back for a little while in the cool embrace of the internet?

Bitch Media Fellowship for Writers
Recently, Bitch Media opened application submissions for its fellowship program’s second year. The fellowship, directed by Bitch Media cofounder Andi Zeisler, is looking for writers with minimal publication experience and a strong voice on subjects like activism, feminism, and pop-culture criticism. You can apply until September 15th!

Nashville Review, Summer 2016
The Nashville Review, edited by the MFA students at Vanderbilt University, has released its second issue of the year. The Nashville Review seeks to share a combination of traditional and non-traditional literature, from poetry to comics. The Summer 2016 issue features not one, but two poems by long-time friend of Button, Hieu Minh Nguyen!!

“5 Reasons to Read: The Crown Ain’t Worth Much, by Hanif Abdurraqib” by Emmanuel Oppong-Yeboah
This week the internet was gifted with this stunning review of The Crown Ain’t Worth Much by Emmanuel Oppong-Yeboah. Though this may look like a listicle based on the title, this review is so much more, grinding deep into Hanif’s work with voice, time, anaphora, and many more literary techniques and explaining just what Hanif is doing in his work that makes The Crown Ain’t Worth Much the beautiful collection that it is. Get your copy here.

“Venom (ft. Lucien Parker)” by Guante
Guante released a new single, “Venom,” on his Soundcloud this week. If you were looking for a cool new track to throw on your Saturday-night playlist, look no further! “Venom” can be found on Guante’s album, “Post-Post-Race” which is available on Bandcamp.

“Pack These Pages” by Samantha Raphelson & Justine Kenin
Check out this reading list released by NPR! The list was curated by seven different professional booksellers and should fill your last month of summer with some great reads. The list offers selections of fiction, nonfiction, and children & young adult books.

Button Round-Up 10

Posted on July 24, 2016

It’s the weekend, so you know what that means. The Button Round-Up is back with another exciting installment! Dive with us into the magical world of the poetry-related internet.

Buzzwords Poetry Competition 2016
This one’s for our fans across the pond! Our own Chapbook Contest is now in full swing (and open to international submitters!), but the Buzzwords Poetry Competition can be a great way to submit your poems if you don’t have a full manuscript and are living in the UK. Submissions close on August 7th.

Poet Activist Spotlight: Jacqui Germain
One of Button’s newest authors, Jacqui Germain, recently did a wonderful interview with Stevie Edwards from Ploughshares at Emerson College. Jacqui speaks about her own poetic influences and her work as a community organizer and activist. Don’t forget to check out Jacqui’s book, When the Ghosts Come Ashore, after you read this interview!

“Why Poetry is the Best Medium for Kids Who Want to Change the World” by Ketherine Brooks
Last week was the 19th annual Brave New Voices festival, featuring over 500 kids from 55 cities participating in the poetry slam tournament. Featuring Button author Danez Smith, this article goes on to affirm the positive benefits of youth slams and young kids expressing themselves through spoken word poetry.

Verbalise
If you are a young poet still trying to figure out your way into spoken word, then Verbalise is just for you! Starting next week in Birmingham, Verbalise is a four-week program offering classes and one-on-one mentoring that can give you the tools to launch your own career in spoken word poetry. It’s not too late to sign up!

“On Continuing the Work of Who Carried Us Here” by Hanif Abdurraqib
Celebrating the release of his debut book The Crown Ain’t Worth Much, Button author Hanif Abdurraqib is back in this week’s Round-Up with another essay. Unlike the past two weeks, with his regular music features, Hanif is reflecting on the release of his book, and how to be thankful to and honor those who have made it possible to get where he is today. Writing more a love letter than an essay, Hanif is back with his usual brilliance.

“for lee buencamino” by Mae Verano
To close out this week’s Round-Up, here is a short but sweet poem by Mae Verano. A member of the Brown 2016 CUPSI team, Mae Verano’s “for lee buencamino” is haunting in it’s brevity. “how lucky am i to speak your words / savor that same story / and still stand here / existing.” How lucky we all are to have this piece this weekend.

That’s all for this week, folks. I hope you’ve enjoyed your time here, and read something that will make some kind of impact, no matter how small, on your week moving forward. See you next Saturday!

Spencer Brownstein is a poet, student, and Button staffer living in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He loves beanies, dogs, and a nice cigarette after dinner.

Link Round-Up 7

Posted on July 2, 2016

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.

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