Emily Eastman – “The First Time”

Performing at the 2016 Women of the World Poetry Slam.

“The difference between a dream and wakefulness:
we know it’s real if it hurts.”
Don’t miss this great poem from Emily Eastman, performing at the Women of the World Poetry Slam. Subscribe to us on YouTube to stay up to date on all these amazing performances.
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.

Soré Agbaje – “I Was Born” (CUPSI 2016)

Performing at the 2016 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational.

“Once you are used to the idea of losing things, it no longer holds its value.”
Don’t miss this powerful poem from Soré Agbaje, performing for Brooklyn College at the 2016 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational. Subscribe to us on YouTube to stay up to date on all these amazing performances.
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.

Link Round-Up 6

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Howdy friends! It’s been another great week in the world of poetry, and we are super excited to share some of the gems we stumbled upon online.

Three Poems by Hanif Abdurraqib – That’s right, it is physically impossible to go one week without Hanif absolutely wrecking you with his brilliant writing. This week, it’s three poems up at Public Pool.

Beech Street Review –William James, Angelique Palmer, and Mckendy Fils-Aime are the editors of a brand new literary journal, and they just opened their submissions for the first quarterly issue! Looking for inspiration to send them a poem? Check out our writing prompt from Ollie Schminkey!

“All These Bodies” by Taylor Steele –I was lucky enough to see this poem performed live at Rustbelt Regional Poetry Slam in Columbus, and trust me, you’re never going to be ready for this captivating and brilliant writing and performance. Thanks to fellow poetry org SlamFind for the awesome video!

Ten Trans, Non-Binary, Gender Non-Conforming, Gender Fluid, and Genderqueer Poets You Need to Hear – That’s right, in addition to writing and performing beautiful poems, Taylor also has a column over at Medium where she highlights the best of the best when it comes to poetry. This installment focuses on giving some credit to an often uncelebrated and erased part of the poetry community. Meet your new favorite poets!

“A Way of Thanking the Pig” by Emily O’Neill – Emily’s work has been published all over, and this poem about honoring the animals we eat appeared in the initial issue of Tap Lit magazine. If you want to get to know Emily more, you can check out her amazing review of Jay Deshpande’s “Love the Stranger” that she was kind enough to write for us last week.

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.

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

Alex Dang & Dante Douglas – “The Shotgun Cabinet” (CUPSI 2016)

Performing at the 2016 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational.

“Choke a running faucet, and you come out with clean hands.”
Don’t miss this excellent poem from Alex Dang and Dante Douglas, performing as part of the “Best of the Rest” during finals at the 2016 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational. Subscribe to us on YouTube to stay up to date on all these amazing performances.
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.

Christopher Michael – “16th Street Baptist Church Speaks”

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.

Ollie Schminkey – “Threesomes” (CUPSI 2016)

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.

Victoria Morgan – “How to Succeed in Heartbreak” (250K Views!)

“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!

Sarah Ogutu – “After the Storm” (CUPSI 2016)

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.

Safia Elhillo – “Alien Suite” (CUPSI 2016)


Performing at the 2016 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational
“Did our mothers invent loneliness, or did it make them our mothers?”
Don’t miss this unbelievable new poem from Safia Elhillo. The performance is a seamless medley of 14 of Safia’s poems, and comprised her feature set at the 2016 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational finals. This is the longest video we’ve ever featured on Button, and it’s well worth a full watchthrough.
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.