Poetry Slam with Bobby Miller

This event is for poets and listeners alike. Poets, bring your original poetry and throw your name in the hat to perform on stage in a supportive environment. Listeners are invited to be judges for the competitive rounds or can just sit back and take it all in. Come and have fun with us!

The featured guest for this event will be poet and activist Emanuel Xavier. Emanuel Xavier was born in Brooklyn, New York, and became involved in the ball scene as a homeless gay teen. Over a span of twenty-five years, Xavier has received recognition as a spoken word artist from national colleges and universities. He has been named an LGBTQ Icon by The Equality Forum and has been presented a New York City Council Citation Award. Xavier has received an  International Latino Book Award, Lambda Literary Award nominations and American Library Association Over the Rainbow Books selections for his collections which include: Pier Queen, Americano, If Jesus Were Gay, Nefarious, Radiance and Selected Poems of Emanuel Xavier. He is also editor of Me No Habla With Acento: Contemporary Latino Poetry, Bullets & Butterflies: queer spoken word poetry and Mariposas: A Modern Anthology of Queer Latino Poetry.He is the recipient of a Gay City Impact Award and The Marsha A. Gomez Cultural Heritage Award. Xavier founded the Penguin Random House LGBTQ Network and is on the Board of The Publishing Triangle. The author and editor of several books, Xavier continues to read his work across the country.

Prospective participating poets will be asked to put their names in a hat on arrival at CPC starting at 6:30 pm. The event will start promptly at 7:00. Participants will be RANDOMLY selected throughout the event. Depending on the number of participants, there is no guarantee that every applicant will be selected. Rules and time limits will be announced at the top of the event by Bobby Miller. Have questions? Reach out to Bobby using the contact info provided above .

The competitive design of poetry slams is designed to be fun and supportive of all poets. That said, the audience is encouraged to be appropriately vocal, expressive, and raucous. And, as  Bobby Miller says, “the winner is often the loser.”

This event will include a cash prize and a mystery basket.

PURCHASING TICKETS ONLINE (below) IS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED. Capacity is limited so purchasing tickets online ensures you will be admitted. Payment will be accepted at the door until capacity is reached.

Bobby Miller is a performance poet, and photographer. Author of three books of poetry; “Benestrific Blonde”, “Mouth Of Jane” “Rigmarole” and ” Troubleblonde” Poems/short stories/monologues and letters. Published in “Aloud: Voices From The Nuyorican Poets Cafe”, ” Verses That Hurt; Pleasure And Pain From The Poemfone Poets” St. Martin’s Press, and “The Outlaw Bible Of American Poetry” His photography books include “Fabulous! A Photographic Diary Of Studio 54″ REDUX, ” A Downtown State of Mind”, ” Wigstock in black & white”, ” PORTRAITS 1973 – 2009 ” in three Volumes, ” Queer Nation” with figures by him and Basil Twist, ” Jackie 60 Nights”, ” Forget Them Not: A Celebration Of Those Who’ve Gone Before” and “Divas, Dudes & Dandie. His influences were Christopher Makos, Robert Mapplethorpe, Jimmy De Sana, and George Hurrell. Studied photography with Lisette Model The New School of Social Research. New work” The Outlaw Bible of American Art” ” Comic Book” & “NUDES”.