Boston Slam Venues Celebrate National Poetry Month

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.

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 athttp://www.facebook.com/NationalPoetrySlam.