All-access, tournament and student pricing options available
BOSTON, Mass. – April 26, 2013 — Festival passes for the 2013 National Poetry Slam (NPS) competition are now on sale, Poetry Slam Inc. announced today. Passes can be purchased from Poetry Slam Inc.’s online store at http://www.nationalpoetryslam.com/tickets. Those without tickets may pay a cover charge at the door for each individual event, scheduled to take place August 13-17 at various venues throughout Boston, Cambridge and Somerville. The festival is making its triumphant return to Beantown following a sold-out 2011 outing widely viewed as the most successful in the tournament’s more than 25-year history. The following will be available:
- All-Access Pass ($75) — If you want to see it all, this is the pass for you. It will grant admission to all 50+ official NPS 2013 shows, including day events, late-night events, preliminary competition, semi-final competition, Group Piece Finals and Team Finals.
- Student All-Access Pass ($60) — Under 21? No problem. This pass grants admission to all under-21 NPS 2013 events and includes admission to all day events, at least two preliminary shows per weeknight, and Team Finals.
- Tournament Pass ($50) — This pass grants admission to all NPS 2013 evening competition events, from preliminary slams to semi-finals, plus Group Piece Finals and Team Finals.
Pass purchasers will receive a full-color laminated pass designed by poet and artist Melissa Newman-Evans. Each pass category showcases a different, original piece of artwork of a local performance poet sourced from photographs by artists Marshall Goff and Richard Beaubien. Passes must be picked up during the first two days of the festival. Detailed pickup information is available at: http://www.nationalpoetryslam.com/tickets/festival-pass-pick-up
“These passes aren’t just a ticket–they’re like a membership badge for the poetry community,” said Art Director Newman-Evans. “Every NPS has its own unique look that is exemplified in the passes, and this year is no exception.”
Boston will host up to 84 teams of the top slammers from across the country, who will once again descend on the city for the chance to impress judges (randomly selected from the audience) with performances of original works. To meet the growing demand, this year’s festival will feature more events, easier access to information for fans, and most importantly, bigger venues.
“NPS is the Olympics of the performance poetry world,” said two-time NPS Host City Director Simone Beaubien. “When the festival came to town back in 2011, we called it a once-in-a-lifetime event. Since then, greater Boston has been turning out for poetry in record numbers, so it’s great for us to have this second rare opportunity to host; we’re planning to share poetry slam with even more audience this time around.”
About Poetry Slam, Inc.
Poetry Slam, Inc. is the official non-profit organization overseeing the North American coalition of poetry slams, setting the rules and vision that the majority of worldwide slams adhere to. PSi provides the infrastructure for a national affiliation of poets and slams, making the annual National Poetry Slam possible as a place to pool ideas and share creative resources to ensure the future growth and recognition of slam.
About the National Poetry Slam
The National Poetry Slam is the biggest team poetry slam in the world. Held every year since 1990, it is the definitive showcase for competitive performance poetry. Teams of the best poets from around the country come to compete for the national championship, during a week-long festival celebrating the dynamic oral tradition slam has fostered. Through several nights of competition, poets will perform either individually or in “group pieces” with their teammates, in the hopes of impressing judges randomly selected from the audience. This year a record number of teams is expected for the 24th annual National Poetry Slam in Boston, Massachusetts. For more information, visit http://nationalpoetryslam.com. Follow NPS2013 on Twitter @nationalslam, or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/NationalPoetrySlam.
Boston, Cambridge, Somerville Begin Countdown to 2013 National Poetry Slam with Month-Long Celebration
BOSTON, March 22, 2013 – April is National Poetry Month, and if that sounds exciting to you, then you’ve come to the right major metropolitan area. The National Poetry Slam is coming back to Boston, Cambridge and Somerville August 13 to 17, and in anticipation—and because they genuinely love the written word—the Boston Poetry Slam, in cooperation with the city’s other poetry venues, has announced a host of April events celebrating all things poetic, including readings, writing workshops and slam competitions.
Started by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month is an annual tradition celebrated by publishers, libraries, educators and poetry fans across the country, and that’s doubly true here in Boston, a city so rife with poetry lovers that every single bout at the 2011 National Poetry Slam sold out.
“National Poetry Month really gives us an opportunity to reach a broader audience,” said Boston SlamMaster and NPS Host City Director Simone Beaubien. “We see all kinds of new faces who’ve suddenly remembered how much they love poetry.”
Here are the events you’ll see this April:
• Encyclopedia Show: “Mythical Beasts,” Monday, April 1, 2013 at the Davis Square Theatre, 255 Elm St. in Somerville. Doors open at 7:00 — Poets and other artists perform all-new work on the topic of mythical beasts in this wacky, vaudeville-style variety show. All ages. Cover $10 or $7 for students, teachers or guests in Prohibition-era dress.
• Boston Poetry Slam: “The Art of Funny-Sad” Workshop with Jade Sylvan and Cambridge Poet Populist Reading, Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at the Cantab Lounge, 738 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. 6 p.m. workshop; 8 p.m. open mic; 9:30 p.m. feature, and 10:30 p.m. open poetry slam — Jade Sylvan, Boston Poetry Slam team member, will lead a generative poetry writing workshop before the show. Featured readers will be Lo Gallucio and Tom Yuill, finalists for the Cambridge Arts Council’s Poet Populist position. 18+, $5 suggested donation.
• “Moonlighting” Reading and Open Mic, Thursday, April 4, 2013 at Fazenda Café, 3710 Washington St., Boston. 7-9 p.m. Sean Patrick Mulroy hosts the debut event in this new queer reading and open mic series. Allies welcome. All ages, sliding scale cover.
• Lizard Lounge Team Selection Semifinals Round 2, Sunday, April 7 at Lizard Lounge, 1667 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. Doors open at 7:30 — This is the last chance for eight Boston-area poets to secure spots in the Lizard Lounge’s final National Poetry Slam team selection bout. 21+, $5.
• Boston Poetry Slam: “Your Heartbeat Has Been Telling You For Years” Workshop and Feature by Artie Moffa, Wednesday, April 10, 2013 at the Cantab Lounge, 738 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. 6 p.m. workshop; 8 p.m. open mic; 10 p.m. feature, and 11 p.m. open poetry slam — New Formalist poet Artie Moffa will demonstrate techniques for writing in iambic pentameter before featuring at the show. 18+, $5.
• Lizard Lounge Team Selection Finals, April 14 at Lizard Lounge, 1667 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge. Doors open at 7:30 – Eight poets face off to secure five coveted spots to represent the Lizard Lounge at the National Poetry Slam in August. 21+, $5.
• Boston Poetry Slam: “Getting Ink” Workshop and Feature by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz, Wednesday, April 17, 2013 at the Cantab Lounge, 738 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. 6 p.m. workshop; 8 p.m. open mic; 10 p.m. feature and 11 p.m. open poetry slam — Aptowicz is the author of five poetry books and the founder of the NYC-Urbana poetry slam. She will lead a discussion workshop on publication for poets before featuring at the show. 18+, $5.
• Boston Poetry Slam: “Stranger Than Fiction” Workshop and Feature by Marty McConnell, Wednesday, April 24 at the Cantab Lounge, 738 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. 6 p.m. workshop; 8 p.m. open mic; 10 p.m. feature, and 11 p.m. Champion of Champions poetry slam — Underground slam champ and wine for a shotgun author McConnell will lead a generative poetry workshop before featuring at the show. An all-champions slam will close the night. 18+, $5.
About the Boston Poetry Slam
The Boston Poetry Slam is the third-longest-running poetry slam in the world and the host for the 2013 National Poetry Slam. Founded in 1991, the show presents an open mic, headlining poet and slam competition and is held weekly at the Cantab Lounge, located at 738 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge, Mass. Poetry begins at 8:00 every Wednesday and is hosted by SlamMaster Simone Beaubien. For more information, please visit http://bostonpoetryslam.com.
About the National Poetry Slam
The National Poetry Slam is the largest team poetry slam in the world and the definitive showcase for competitive performance poetry. Since 1990, teams of the best poets from around the country have come to compete for the national championship, as well as showcase during the weeklong festival celebrating the dynamic oral tradition slam has fostered. Competing poets perform individually or in “group pieces” with their teammates, striving to impress judges that are randomly selected from the audience. This year’s National Poetry Slam will be hosted in Boston, Mass. for the third time in the 24-year history of the event. For more information, visit http://nationalpoetryslam.com. Follow NPS2013 on Twitter @nationalslam or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/NationalPoetrySlam.
Nine Poets Compete on March 13 for a Chance to Be Part of the Home Team of the 2013 National Poetry Slam
BOSTON, Mass., March 6, 2013 — The Boston Poetry Slam will host its highly-anticipated team selection finals on Wednesday, March 13 at the Cantab Lounge in Cambridge. Nine of the region’s best slammers will perform their original work, judged by five random audience members, with the five highest-scoring poets securing a coveted spot on the official Boston Poetry Slam team. The Boston Poetry Slam team will compete at the 2013 National Poetry Slam, August 13-17, 2013 in Boston, Cambridge and Somerville. Boston is once again serving as the host city for the National Poetry Slam, based on the large crowds and sellout venues from its last hosting gig in August 2011.
The nine poets doing battle in the team selection finals are Melissa Newman-Evans, Omoizele Okoawo, Mckendy Fils-Aimé, Nora Meiners, Ed Wilkinson, Adam Stone, Jade Sylvan, Sean Patrick Mulroy and Meaghan Ford. The Boston Poetry Slam team has twice won the national championship and made five appearances on the National Poetry Slam’s finals stage, most recently in 2008.
“Representing the home city of a national event in any kind of competition is always a coveted position,” said Sean Patrick Mulroy, a semi-finalist who will compete at the team selection finals at the Cantab. “Add to that the fact that the Boston Poetry Slam has some of the fiercest writers and performers in the world? It’s going to be a bloodbath.”
“My time with the 2011 Boston Poetry Slam team was amazing. Because the Cantab Lounge hosts one of the most respected readings in the country and it served as the home venue for the 2011 National Poetry Slam, our team felt more pressure than usual to honor the Boston poetry legacy,” said McKendy Fils-Aimé, a semi-finalist who was a member of the 2011 Boston Poetry Slam and three-time National Poetry Slam competitor. “We represented Boston proudly and reinforced that the Boston poetry legacy is a strong one.”
The Boston Poetry Slam holds a weekly show every Wednesday evening downstairs at the Cantab Lounge. The cover charge is $5 . No tickets are sold in advance. The poetry show is 18+ and doors open at approximately 7:15 for the 8:00 open mic. The venue has a strict capacity of 100 persons with seating for approximately 75; audiences are strongly encouraged to arrive before 8:00.
Fans who miss the show—or just want to relive it—will be able to hear a recap on a special preview episode of SlamCenter, the official podcast of the 2013 National Poetry Slam. SlamCenter will feature news, highlights and analysis of the National Poetry Slam, giving fans at home and around the country a way to keep up with the competition. The preview show covering the Boston Poetry Slam’s 2013 team selection slam will be available for download the following week on BostonPoetrySlam.com.
About the Boston Poetry Slam
The Boston Poetry Slam is the third-longest-running poetry slam in the world and the host for the 2013 National Poetry Slam. Founded in 1991, the show presents an open mic, headlining poet and slam competition and is held weekly at the Cantab Lounge, located at 738 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge, Mass. Poetry begins at 8:00 every Wednesday and is hosted by SlamMaster Simone Beaubien. For more information, please visit http://bostonpoetryslam.com.
About the National Poetry Slam
The National Poetry Slam is the largest team poetry slam in the world and the definitive showcase for competitive performance poetry. Since 1990, teams of the best poets from around the country have come to compete for the national championship, as well as showcase during the weeklong festival celebrating the dynamic oral tradition slam has fostered. Competing poets perform individually or in “group pieces” with their teammates, striving to impress judges that are randomly selected from the audience. This year’s National Poetry Slam will be hosted in Boston, Mass. for the third time in the 24-year history of the event. For more information, visit http://nationalpoetryslam.com. Follow NPS2013 on Twitter @nationalslam or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/NationalPoetrySlam.
National Poetry Slam Returns to Boston, Cambridge, Somerville
Unprecedented success brings world’s biggest poetry competition back to Beantown
BOSTON, Mass., Feb. 27, 2013 — The National Poetry Slam is returning to Boston, Cambridge and Somerville this year, just two years after it last stunned sell-out crowds, the Boston Poetry Slam and Poetry Slam, Inc. announced today. Held every year, the National Poetry Slam is the super bowl for performance poetry. Up to 84 teams of the best slammers from around the country will come to perform their own original work in the hopes of impressing judges randomly selected from the audience. The competition will kick off on Aug. 13 and run every day through Aug. 17 at a variety of venues around the city.
Boston last held the event in 2011. Few cities have ever hosted the event twice, much less so close together, but Boston earned the repeat honor by drawing unprecedented crowds, selling out every single bout for the most successful outing in slam’s more than 25-year history. “It’s almost like the same city holding consecutive Summer Olympics,” says host city director Simone Beaubien. “But after the enthusiasm we saw in 2011, we knew we had to bring it back. We’ve just never seen anything like 2011 in the history of slam. We had people standing in lines around the block for an hour in the rain to see poetry.” All told, an estimated 8,350 people came out to see the events.
Now, Beaubien’s team is hoping to improve on their success. This year’s festival will feature more events, more coverage for fans trying to keep up with the tournament, and, above all, bigger venues. “The number one complaint we had last time was that people couldn’t get in to see the shows, because everything was selling out,” Beaubien explains. “It’s a good problem to have, but this year we’ll be ready to meet the demand.”
For more information, including high resolution photos, visit http://nationalpoetryslam.com.
About The Boston Poetry Slam
The Boston Poetry Slam is the third-longest-running slam in the world. Founded in 1991, the weekly open mic, headliner, and slam competition is held at The Cantab Lounge, located at 738 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge. The show begins at 8:00 and is hosted by SlamMaster Simone Beaubien. For more information, please visit http://bostonpoetryslam.com.
About the Boston Poetry Slam
The Boston Poetry Slam is the third-longest-running poetry slam in the world and the host for the 2013 National Poetry Slam. Founded in 1991, the show presents an open mic, headlining poet and slam competition and is held weekly at the Cantab Lounge, located at 738 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge, Mass. Poetry begins at 8:00 every Wednesday and is hosted by SlamMaster Simone Beaubien. For more information, please visit http://bostonpoetryslam.com.
About the National Poetry Slam
The National Poetry Slam is the largest team poetry slam in the world and the definitive showcase for competitive performance poetry. Since 1990, teams of the best poets from around the country have come to compete for the national championship, as well as showcase during the weeklong festival celebrating the dynamic oral tradition slam has fostered. Competing poets perform individually or in “group pieces” with their teammates, striving to impress judges that are randomly selected from the audience. This year’s National Poetry Slam will be hosted in Boston, Mass. for the third time in the 24-year history of the event. For more information, visit http://nationalpoetryslam.com. Follow NPS2013 on Twitter @nationalslam or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/NationalPoetrySlam.
