NORTHBEAST RECAP!
Hello Poet!
Welcome to the special, long-awaited, NorthBeast installment of the Boston Poetry Slam newsletter! For those who are unaware, July 20th-21st was the NorthBeast Regional - the quintessential New England poetry slam event of the year, where teams from all over came together at The Foundry in Cambridge in an epic celebration of slam. 16 teams came from all over the country (and even some from abroad!) to perform, learn, and support each other.
Read on for a glimpse into The Foundry that weekend, with descriptions of teams, photos from the festivities, a reveal of the festival winners, highlights, testimonials, and MORE!
First off - The Teams!
We welcomed 16 INCREDIBLE teams to the Foundry, several from the Northeast, but some hailed from much farther away, whether it be Minnesota or Canada. Whether they were slam veterans or it was their first time competing, these teams brought their A-game. The teams competed across four preliminary bouts on Saturday, 4×4 style, with the winner of each bout advancing to finals stage on Sunday, plus the second-place team with the closest margin filling the fifth finals spot.
Without further ado, here are your NorthBeast competitors!
Boston Poetry Slam (Cambridge, MA)
The BPS team, coached by Zeke Russell and Myles Taylor, consisted of:
Brynna Boyd
Aparna Paul
Jennifer Martinez
Katya Zinn
Mary Schwabenland
Photos:
Highlights:
The Hand Me Downs group piece (Jennifer Martinez, Aparna Paul, and Brynna Boyd) had one of the most powerful metaphors of the festival.
BuckSlam (Minnesota)
The BuckSlam team consisted of:
Anna Šverclová
Elyssa Cook
Hawti Boranto
Muna Abdulahi
Photos:
Highlights: This team collectively travelled the farthest to our little regional! Anna’s pollution poem won Most Wronged By The Judges by a LANDSLIDE, which gave us the opportunity to hear their Trolley Problem poem on finals stage!
Dirty Gerund (Worcester, MA)
The Dirty Gerund team consisted of:
Bex Collins
Madeline Wissler
Nic Jean
Storey Campbell
Photos:
Highlights: Worcester brought us some gorgeous, polished work in their prelim, including a memorized redux of Madeline Wissler’s “Pimple Poppers” poem from the Nossrat Yassini Festival and Nic’s “Abrasions” piece closing out with a close read on the effects of bullying.
Hidden Leaf (Western Mass and CA)
The Hidden Leaf team, coached by Catherine Weiss, consisted of:
Catherine Weiss
Nazelah Jamison
Shyla Hardwick
Jelal Huyler
Photos:
Highlights: This team had some of the most talked-about poems of the festival, including Nazelah’s “BIG DICK” proclamations, Jelal bringing back “Tigers”, and Catherine’s “Grow” making Myles cry on their way to their next bout.
Just Broth (Various; Canada)
The Just Broth team consisted of:
Harper Mckinnon
Katia Matychak
Keaghan O’Brien
Mads Murray
Photos:
Highlights: This team particularly brought the heat in terms of group pieces, but Harper’s Loch Ness monster poem resulted in one of the best audience reaction photos of the festival (Sam Bucci jaw-dropped behind the videographer).
Lizard Lounge (Cambridge, MA)
The Lizard Lounge team consisted of:
Brother D “The People’s Poet”
Mahesh Yarasi
Tru Kwene
Will Chalmus
Photos:
Highlights: Tru Kwene’s “Instructions” poem faked out the entire audience on finals with a feigned drop turned into a plot twist turned into a sensational climax.
Mill City Speaks (Lowell, MA)
The Mill City team consisted of:
Mckendy Fils-Aimé
Kayla Kennedy
Kes Maro
Lauren Strainge
Photos:
Highlights: The Best Performance superlative was once again scooped up by Mckendy for his ode to the NH Middle School cafeteria, & Lauren’s “Candyman” poem was a clear and powerful closer for finals.
PortVeritas (Portland, ME)
The Port Veritas team, coached by Maya Williams, consisted of:
Alex Wu
Elle MacGilvray
Jack Brokaw
Yashu Derisala
Photos:
Highlights: Our only youth team, Port Veritas held their own in their bout, from Yashu’s tea party to Jack’s strategic repetition in “Marlboro Blues”.
ProvSlam (Providence, RI)
The ProvSlam team consisted of:
Aidan Choi
Ilyus Evander
WorldSpoken
Ace
Photos:
Highlights: This team of rookies kicked ass and came in 2nd in their prelim, upholding ProvSlam’s legacy as last year’s winners. Ilyus’ superlatives performance also received a standing ovation as they read their poem behind a curtain, out of sight — definitely pushing the art form forward.
Rockland Birds (Rockland County, NY)
The Rockland Birds team consisted of:
Brianna Forbes
Bryan Roessel
Christopher Shepard
Gregory Bassel
Photos:
Highlights: Greg’s “Sox” poem left everyone doubled-over in hilarity and shock during prelims, and did the same exact thing when it was performed in the superlatives showcase. This team’s group pieces also pushed the possibilities of a poem on stage, from choreography to full-on documentary scenes.
Rockland Not Birds (Rockland County, NY)
The Rockland Not Birds team, coached by consisted of:
Gloria Yuknalis
Nick Yuk
Sasha E. Tobin
Victoria Fray
Photos:
Highlights: Sasha’s “Trying not to write a love poem on a Thursday afternoon” was a beautiful piece that deserved its encore during the superlatives showcase.
Sin Nombre (Cambridge, MA)
The Sin Nombre team, coached by Kaitie Dilán, consisted of:
Daniel Letona
Ilse Ruizvisfocri
Kaitie Dilán
Jarvis Subia
Nayeli Mzin
Photos:
Highlights: In a triumph, Jarvis Subia achieved the only perfect score during the festival, with his classic piece “Stay with Me.” Michael F Gill reports this is the only thirty he has seen during a Boston Poetry Slam program. But let’s not forget videographer Kaitie D’s crowdwalk kicking off finals!
Slam Euphoria (NY)
The Slam Euphoria team, coached by EL Evelyn, consisted of:
Marz Albarran
Melissa Anderson
Sarrah Essa
Shawntavia Bailey
Photos:
Highlights: Melissa’s poem “You asked me about love” had everyone loving it so much, it got an honorable mention for best love poem.
Slam Free or Die (Manchester, NH)
The SFOD team consisted of:
Christopher Clauss
Mike Linehan
Mica Rich
Matt Richards
Rebby Branscombe
Photos:
Highlights: This team of organizers and seasoned professionals held their own against the home team with powerful indies from Mike, Mica, and Christopher, plus the festival’s only five-person group piece.
Spoke Four (Lowell, MA)
The Spoke Four team, coached by consisted of:
Mike Regan
Rikhav Kothari
Shelby Coe
Joseph Bordeleau
Photos:
Highlights: Joe’s poem “17 Gummy Bears” was well-loved by the audience, a close second in the superlatives list for funniest poem.
Team SLG (Boston, MA)
The Team SLG, coached by Kai Wallin, consisted of:
Kai Wallin
William Leonard IV
Kelsey Kessler
Kat Anderson
Photos:
Highlights: Pinch-hitter Will’s “Bath Water” poem knocked the wind out of audience members, and team coach Kai Wallin’s piece about ADHD gave the audience a nuanced look into being a neurodivergent performer.
Please follow the NorthBeast Instagram account for more photos, videos, and testimonials from the event!
From the Foundry Floor: NorthBeast Testimonials!
I got to interview several participants, slammers, and more on the weekend of the festival. See quotes below!
On feelings before/during/after competing:
“I thought I would be way more nervous than I was, but I was just feeling a whole lot of adrenaline, and then it was like right before we were called that I felt all the anxiety.” - Rebby (SFOD)
“Right now I’m feeling kind of off-the-wall but in the best way possible, like I’ve just been consuming so much poetry over the course of the last day and a half, and writing so much, and thinking so much about craft and performance and learning so much from the poets here, and it’s all like bouncing around inside me.” - Aparna (BPS)
“It felt really good. I feel like my teammates and I, we put a lot of practice into our piece and it was a really fun piece to perform, and I felt like the audience really connected with it and had a good time” - Bryan (Rockland Birds)
“I felt a lot of camaraderie with my team and the other teams. I was blown away by the work that was brought by so many different individuals. I felt like I evolved as a person and a poet, and I’m really really grateful that this is such a welcoming space that encourages growth, and I’m just very thankful to be surrounded by such great people” - Will (Team SLG)
“The nerves of performing are there. I’m excited because it’s not often I’m getting to see a full day of poetry” - Jarvis (Sin Nombre)
“I am running on caffeine and a dream and I think I need a nap” - Kaitie (Sin Nombre)
On the workshops:
“I thought both workshops (the Zuihitsu and love poems workshops) were really interesting. I’m a teacher so it’s always great to kind of see how other people teach poems. I’m very willing and hungry to learn, so it’s great to have NorthBeast exist because I get to collaborate with people and I get to learn from people.” - Shelby (Spoke 4)
“Really fortunate to be out here with my team all the way from Minnesota. I’m fairly new to all of this, but I thought [the workshops] were a really cool touch - lots of opportunities to build community with other poets.” - Elyssa (BuckSlam)
On volunteering:
“Volunteering has been such an incredible experience, and it’s a privilege to be able to facilitate the community that I care about so much and to hang out with all my friends doing it.” - Danny (volunteer)
“We put so much time and energy and effort into getting this event off the ground, getting even bigger than last year, expanding our team, and really relying on each other to get us to this point. And now that we’re finally here, we get to kind of sit back and monitor, but also experience all this wonderful poetry” - Alex (Festival Manager)
On overall experience:
“I learned a lot.” - Shawntavia (Slam Euphoria)
"It was cool to see the different styles of each team come together and shine.” - Clarissa (audience member)
“Just being here, it’s been really nice to be around people that just want to hear other peoples’ poems, and want to uplift other people and make other people grow and develop.” - Rebby (SFOD)
“Inviting BLC (Boston Liberation Center) to host our open mic, it was so dope to take the BLC mic to so many phenomenal poets and performers, and my heart is so full to be in the space where people are committed to our culture and liberation.” - GD (audience member, BLC organizer)
Superlatives!
One feature of NorthBeast is that after prelims, all attendees can vote on their favorite poems in a select number of categories. Those poems were announced before finals, and we got to see reprises of some of them! ICYMI, the list is below!
Best Boutfit
BPS: Katya Zinn
Best Performance
Mill City: Mckendy Fils-Aimé
Honorable mention - Sin Nombre: Daniel Letona
Funniest Poem
Rockland Birds: Greg Bassell
Honorable mention - Hidden Leaf: Nazelah Jamison
Pushing the Art Forward
Provslam: Ilyus Evander
Honorable Mention - Mill City: Mckendy Fils-Aimé
Wronged by the Judges
Buckslam: Anna Šverclová
Honorable mention - Just Broth: Harper Mckinnon
Best Love Poem
Rockland Not Birds: Sasha E. Tobin
Honorable mention - Slam Euphoria: Melissa Anderson
Best Group Piece
Just Broth: Mads Murray, Keaghan O’Brien, and Katia Matychak
Honorable mention - Rockland Birds: Greg Bassell and C Shep
Coming up at the Cantab:
10/9 – HAIKU TOURNAMENT
10/16 – Mike Linehan
10/23 – Mason Granger
10/30 – Halloween Slam!
REMINDER: SLAM ADAMS
Looking for another poetry show? Looking to try out slamming in a low-stakes, highly-supportive environment? Do you like beer of the alcoholic or non-alcoholic varieties? Is "every Wednesday" simply not enough for you? Behold! Boston Poetry Slam has now officially STARTED a monthly slam series at the Sam Adams Brewery in Jamaica Plain, appropriately named "Slam Adams."
Slam Adams is every first Monday of the month, from 6-8pm. It is slam-only, meaning no open mic. Cover is $4, but if you volunteer to judge you may get in free! Sign ups for the slam take place IN ADVANCE - if you would like to sign up, email myles@bostonpoetryslam.com.
The next Slam Adams is taking place MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH! We hope to see you then.
Our current Slam Adams winners have been Mckendy Fils-Aime, Jennifer Martinez, Zeke Russell, Will Leonard, Kai Wallin, Ilse Ruizvisfocri, and Daniel Letona. Sign up to see if you will join the ranks!
About Boston Poetry Slam:
The core Boston Poetry Slam show runs at the Cantab Lounge in Cambridge, Mass. every Wednesday night, giving poets a chance to share their work in the open mic or slam and featuring a headlining poet or theme slam. Doors @7:15, show starts at 8pm. 21+. $4 cover (cash preferred, Venmo available). Follow our Instagram (below) for the most up-to-date info. The show and its community are curated entirely by unpaid volunteers.
Website: https://bostonpoetryslam.com/
Instagram: @bostonpoetryslam
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bostonpoetryslam
The recently-released fourth issue of our official zine, The Cantabernacle, is available online and at our Wednesday night shows! Submissions are also now open for the next issue, so please send us your work at michael@bostonpoetryslam.com
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Contact questions@bostonpoetryslam.com
Newsletter Credits: Written by Amy Argentar, edited by Michael F. Gill