LAST WEEK: Music was large and in charge at the Palmer, as we had a number of off-the-chain jazz musicians get down on the open mic, as well as some of our regular loudmouths...and SONYA RENEE took care of business during her feature, one eyelash off and keeping us captivated from start to finish...
THIS WEEK: We bring you for the first time at Green, one of the powerhouses of performance poetry, ALVIN LAU! Check the stats:
Alvin Lau is a Chicago native, son of Chinese immigrants, and writer of poetry and prose. An avid competitor in poetry slams, he is a two-time national youth champion, a unified grand slam champion of both the Green Mill and Mental Graffiti poetry slams, and two-time Midwest individual champion. He has ranked among the top seven poets in the country four times in as many years, a feat no other competitor has accomplished, and he is youngest poet to ever make individual finals in national competition. His work has featured in numerous literary journals including Red River Review and Rattle Magazine's Tribute to Slam, as well as multiple newspapers including the Chicago Tribune, Santa Cruz Sentinel, and Georgetown Voice. Recently, he was also featured on NPR, the Poetry Foundation online, and HBO's Def Poetry Jam. In 2007 he was named Amnesty International's Poet on Conscience and nominated for the Pushcart Prize in poetry. In addition to performing on three nationwide tours, he regularly hosts lectures and creative writing workshops at dozens of universities across the country including Sarah Lawrence College, Grinnell, the University of Chicago, and Yale. Favorites include redheads, tequila, and Kanye West.
So there ya have it! Support touring poets! Support your local scene! Support good friends, good food, and good drinks! GET THEE TO THE PALMER!!!
See you on Monday,
rob/slim and jedi.
