| POETRY CURRENTS | |
SPOKEN WORD UNDERGROUND
The NYC Urbana slam team recently released a compilation CD of performances at their venue, entitled Spoken Word Underground -- now available on Poetryslam.com. The CD contains live performances from the Urbana stage at NYC's historic punk venue, CBGBs, and includes 27 poets in total, including Jeff McDaniel, Taylor Mali, John S. Hall, Beau Sia, Derrick Brown, Shappy, Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz (me!), Evert Eden, Jack McCarthy, Noel Jones and Alexis O'Hara. You can also hear group poems from three NYC Urbana teams, including Celena Glenn's amazing 2000 finals night group piece, “Running a Race (Going No Where).” The CD is more than just a great survey of the twice-crowned NYC Urbana venue -- it also gives you a great slice of the national slam scene. And also you can feel good purshasing it, because all profits go towards sending this year's NYC Urbana team back to Nationals to defend their title in Seattle in August.
THE MET MEETS POETRY
On Thursday, June 21st, as part of the ineffable William Blake exhibition currently on at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, guests including Patti Smith and Oliver Ray will perform in an evening of poetry, observations, and song. Huzzah! It all takes place at 7 pm, at the Met's Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium. Tickets, which are $25, can be bought by calling this number: 212.570.3949.
SAUL FOR FREE
Ever seen Saul Williams live? What about his performances in such films as Slam and Slam Nation? Or how about the time he performed live with his band on the Chris Rock show? Ever want to meet him? Study with him? What if I told you you could do it for free -- would you believe me? Well, it's true! Mr. Williams will be Poet in Residence at Atlantic Center for the Arts from September 16 to October 6. If you would like to attend, submit work samples by June 30. Up to ten poets will be selected to attend the residency (which includes housing and meals). And if that isn't the cat's pajamas, Saul will be joined during the residency by Paul Miller, DJ Spooky and Carrie Mae Weems, photographer. Yeow! For applications: visit the Atlantic Center's Web site or write to program@atlanticcenterforthearts.org or call Rachel Ward, Program Director, at 800.393.6975.
Time to sign off! I hope to see some of y’all this summer to experience poetry together. Please stop by my venue, Urbana, any Sunday this summer. We’ve got Team Slams, Queer Slams, Sonnet Slams and the infamous NYC Grudge Match lined up. Hope to see you soon. And please forward me any poetry news you got.
Keep reading, keep writing and much love!
