Author Archive

Come one, come all to the next Van Slam Family meeting.

Sunday, January 11, 2009
6:30-8pm
The Grind Gallery 4124 Main St. (Main and 25th)

At the meeting we will be going over:

1) The Budget for next year
2) The Financials from last year
3) The new poets contract (available on the VPH website January 2nd)
4) The instutionalizing of the Honour Code
5) The Election of the Rules Committee
6) The Calendar for events for the next year
7) How many people are we sending to WOWps?
8) Finals Night and ticket sales

Info:

THE VANCOUVER POETRY SLAM

http://vancouverpoetryhouse.com/

CONTINUES

@

CAFÉ DEUX SOLEILS: 2096 COMMERCIAL DRIVE

(5TH AND COMMERCIAL)

EVERY MONDAY OF THE MONTH

THE NEXT  YOUTH POETRY SLAM

(FOR POETS 13-22)

IS MONDAY NOVEMBER 24TH

FEATURING

BUDDY WAKEFIELD

http://198.65.45.203/buddy/tour/index.php

BUDDY WAKEFIELD is the two-time Individual World Poetry Slam Champion featured on NPR, the BBC, HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, and signed to Strange Famous Records. In 2004 he won the Individual World Poetry Slam Finals thanks to the support of anthropologist and producer Norman Lear then successfully defended that [arbitrary] title at the International Poetry Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands against the national champions of seven European countries with works translated into Dutch.

In 2005 he won the Individual World Poetry Slam Championship again and has gone on to share the stage with nearly every notable performance poet in the world in hundreds of venues internationally from The Fillmore in San Francisco and Scotland’s Oran Moore to San Quentin State Penitentiary, House of Blues New Orleans and CBGB’s.

THIS EVENT IS OPEN TO ALL POETS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 13-22

ALL POETIC STYLES ARE WELCOME ON THE MIC

CASH AND PRIZES UP FOR GRABS

SIGN UP BEGINS AT 7PM

SHOW STARTS JUST AFTER 8 O’CLOCK

$3 FOR 18 AND UNDER

$5 FOR 19 AND OLDER

THERE IS AN OPEN MIC

A POETRY SLAM COMPETITION

AND A FEATURE PERFORMER

WHICH I REMIND YOU THIS MONTH IS

BUDDY WAKEFIELD.

For more info

Please contact weslowhiskey@direct.ca

Or 604 215 9230

Monday, November 17
Cafe Deux Soleils 2096 Commercial Drive
Doors and sign-up at 8, Show at 8:45pm
$5 admission
Volunteers get in free - contact vanpohouse@yahoo.ca to volunteer

This another regular season slam to qualify yourself for the Vancouver Poetry Slam playoffs next April. And it’s another chance for all female poets to gain more points in the standings for the Women of the World Poetry Slam playoffs in January.

Tonight will also feature Ottawa Poet, Kevin Mattews. Kevin is a bilingual poet who has been a member of the Winnipeg Poetry Slam team (2004) and the Ottawa Poetry Slam team (2005.) He has performed his work across Canada and in Europe and the U.S. His poetry ranges from silly poems about meat to subtle and serious poems about politics and identity. He’s a great man and a sweet ass poet too.

Info: mcgarragle@gmail.com

Monday, November 10
Cafe Deux Soleils
2096 Commercial Drive
Doors and signup at 8
Show begins at 8:45pm

Come out to see the ever-popular Alt Slam at the Vancouver Poetry Slam - this time featuring Jess Hill!

Like the intuition implied by synchronized movement, Jess Hill’s music reminds you of something you thought you’d forgotten. Anchored in the tendencies of folk, blues and jazz, Jess tells stories: cyclones and downpours, hovering birds, white skies. Some odd years ago, she picked up a careworn guitar. A little while later she grabbed hold of a banjo. Since then, she has collaborated with acclaimed spoken word trio Tons of Fun University on the main stage of the Vancouver Folk Music Festival and played to spellbound audiences in cafes, bars and living rooms from Vancouver to Cape Town. 2006 marked the release of her first full length album Road. In the dim light of midnight living rooms and in the hearts of singing shadows, Jess Hill is building something beautiful.

For info: spillious@gmail.com

This year, the famous Dead Poets’ Night has moved to a new (haunted) house on Main Street.

Thundering Word
Vancouver’s Finest Open Mic

Sunday, Nov. 2nd, 2008
At The Montmartre Cafe`
——-Presents——-
Ralph Shaw!!!
King of the Ukulele!!
Plus!!!
Dead Poets Night!!

Come dressed as or prepared as your favorite long gone Poet!
Prizes for best rendition, best costume etc, etc….

Not only that, but….
More Great open Mic!!
Music, Comedy, Poetry and more…

Signup @ 7:30—Show at 8pm sharp!!
Hosted by:
Wanda-Sue & Bill Mc.
No cover— Pass th’ Hat.
T-Paul Lives!!

So now that the Vancouver Poetry Slam is running every Monday night, we have opportunities for community members like YOU to help out. Most nights we need:

2 Door People to take admissions, stamp hands and greet audience members as they arrive
1 Timekeeper to hold the stopwatch and time the poets’ performances
1 Scorekeeper to record and tally the scores throughout the evening and help announce the winners

We need volunteers every Monday night. The benefits are that you get in for free, you have a guaranteed seat and we will be wonderfully grateful for your help. If you need a letter of reference for community service work for school or otherwise, we will be happy to provide that.

If you would like to help, please email me via the Directors’ page or at our Poetry House email: vanpohouse@yahoo.ca

Thanks for thinking about this!

Sue McIntyre
Poetry House President and Volunteer Coordinator

IN MAPLE “Usually, I complain about the town here but I’ve been gone all year and I’m kind of finding it nifty right now’” RIDGE
IS BACK!

NEW LOCATION: Taste of Hawaii Coffee Shop

#8, 11937, 227th St, Maple Ridge
(a block east of the bus loop)

FRIDAY, MAY 23rd
7:30 - 10:30 PM , $2 or by donation

SLAM: PERFORMANCE POETRY OPEN TO ANYBODY
INTENSE, COMPETITIVE EXPRESSION
CERTIFIED ORGANIC GOOD KARMA
FEATURING
JILL BINDER
“For me it’s all about those moments when I’m totally connected to my work and the audience is totally connected with me. That’s where the magic happens.”
Jill has featured in 4 countries so far, including all over those two major ones in North America. She hosts shows (like the very successful “WordPlay: Poetry/Music Fusion” in Toronto, now renamed “WordJam” by the current host, and the ever so popular “Head to Head Haiku Deathmatch”). She’s been published ‘n stuff, including her second self-published chapbook “The Morbid Book of Haiku.” When she’s not writing morbid haikus, she’s writing about quirky dating or slam poems on scathing social commentary.
Read: jillbinder.com
Listen: myspace.com/jillbinder

come out and
freakin’
SET THE STAGE ON FIRE

SPREAD THE WORD!
(pass it on)

Celebrate Youth Week with a Poetry Slam

Poetry House joins with Burnaby Library, Burnaby Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services and Legacies 2010 to host a Youth Slam and Graffiti Art Night during Youth Week in Burnaby. This event is open to poets ages 13-18 years. A poetry and spoken word workshop a couple of weeks ahead of the event will help poets prepare their work for the slam.

Poetry and Spoken Word Workshop
Thursday, April 17, 7-9pm
Summit Youth Centre
200 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby
Facilitators: Shannon Rayne and RC Weslowski
The workshop is free and open to poets of all styles and experience levels.

Graffiti Art and Youth Slam Event
Thursday, May 1, 5-10pm
Summit Youth Centre - 200 Willingdon Ave Burnaby
Graffiti Painting and Barbeque - 5-8pm
Poetry Slam - 8-10pm
Admission and supper are free.
Cash Prizes
Host: Sasha Langford
Your slam poem must include your expression of the BC spirit - in hip hop, rant, storytelling - all poetic styles, expressions and points-of-view are welcome.

For information, call Raj at Summit Youth Centre 604 268-1369 or email us at vanpohouse@yahoo.ca

Instant Poetry Slam
Monday April 14, Cafe Deux Soleils 2096 Commercial
7pm - Sign Up, Poetry Prompt and Writing Time for Instant Poets
8pm - Sign Up for Open Mic
8:45pm - Show Time

Abandon preparation. Write on the edge. Join hosts Amnesia Jane Smith and Sue McIntyre for April’s Alt Slam. Combine poetry with danger by writing AND performing your piece on the night of the slam.

Poets will meet at 7pm to receive a writing prompt from the hosts, then perform these poems in the competition. Judges’ scores will include points for how well the prompt is incorporated into the poem. You may reserve a spot or ask questions about the Instant Poetry Slam, by contacting Amnesia Jane and Sue at the Poetry House email: vanpohouse@yahoo.ca

Feature Poet: Kedrick James is a performance poet from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with two decades experience in the practice of “transformative poetics.” He performs as an improviser, researcher, teacher, and composer/writer. His collections of published poetry include the titles “Dead Flyers Anthology” and “AWOL Love Vibe’s Exstatic Almanac.” You can find him online at http://www.kedrickjames.net/

Cash Prizes will be awarded to the winners, along with fun gifts for all of the poets.

Think of it as your own poetry slam pit pass. You can be part of the show in March, April and May as Van Slam heats up in the weeks leading to Finals Night. We need volunteers for these nights:

March 17
March 31 (Last Chance Slam)
April 7 (Semis)
April 21 (Semis)
May 5 (Finals - at WISE Hall)

For all nights we need people to work at the door and as scorekeepers and timekeepers. On finals night, we’ll need all of the above, plus people for the merchandise table.

Volunteers get in for free and gain a unique perspective on the workings of the slam, plus the unmitigated admiration and gratitude of the poets and host. The show wouldn’t happen without you.

To sign up, please email Volunteer Coordinator Sue McIntyre at vanpohouse@yahoo.ca Please specify which night(s) you prefer to help, and what you favourite volunteer job is.

See you at the slam. Thanks for volunteering.

Poetry House Board members met on November 12, 2007 to discuss the future, and identify priorities for our organization. Here’s a list of what we’ve agreed to do, including names of the Directors who have stepped forward to take the lead for each initiative:

• Stewarding Van Slam Volunteer Leadership - Lisa Slater and Sean McGarragle
• Fundraising - Lisa Slater and Jim McKnight
• Board Members Skills Development - Trevor Groves and Lisa Slater
• Newsletter - Steve Duncan
• Supporting Youth Poets and the Youth Slam - Chrystalene Buhler and Lisa Slater
• Promoting Canadian Content at Van Slam - Sean McGarragle
• Building Regional Community - Lisa Slater
• Relationships with Other Organizations - Chrystalene Buhler
• Promoting Other Organizations’ Events - Steve Duncan
• Vancouver Poetry House Open House - Sean McGarragle
• Increasing Volunteer Involvement and Improving the Volunteer Experience - Sue McIntyre
• Promoting the Smooth Running of Van Slam - Sean McGarragle
• WordPlay Program - Chrystalene Buhler
• Community Workshops - Steve Duncan
• Website Development - Jim McKnight
• Vancouver International Poetry Festival - Lisa Slater and Sean McGarragle

All members of the board will contribute in one way or another to many of these areas. The names listed are those of Directors who have stepped forward to lead each one. We’ll be looking for people to get involved and help out. If one of these areas looks interesting to you, please get in touch via the Get Involved page, or if you know the person on this list, talk to him or her.

Poetry House is growing and taking shape. Thank you to all of our volunteer Directors for your vision and dedication, to the volunteers who support the organization, and to you, for your interest in Vancouver Poetry House.

Volunteering is a great way to be part of the slam. You can work at the door, be timekeeper or tally the scores. As a volunteer, you will be admitted to the slam for free, get an insider’s experience of the event, and make a positive contribution to a great show. Sign up to help at our next slam, Monday, November 19 featuring Seattle’s Karen Finneyfrock. To sign up, just send me a message via our website’s Volunteer page and I’ll get back to you. Thank you for volunteering!