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The Green Mill became a well known poetry venue in Chicago, where Michael Brown and Patricia Smith were regular performers. The poetry scene expanded during the 1980s, but really exploded and spread all over the country by 1987.
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This venue opened in 1988 as an open-mic for singers, song writers, and poets. The venue was actually in a hallway on the second floor or 107 Brighton Avenue, and became a haven for performance poets, such as Richard Cambridge.
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Michael Brown meets Patricia Smith at Chicago's Books' Guild. Photo by Peter Dressel.
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The first slam took place at T.T. the Bear's in Central Square, Cambridge, which partnered with the Stone Soup Poetry Reading, the oldest-running reading in the city.
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The team finished in fifth place in Chicago in October of 1991. Team members: Ray McNiece, Danny Solis, Kerry Zagarella, Tim Mason, Ryk McIntyre, Patricia Smith, Sakia Yasmine, Richard Cambridge, and Kate Rushin.
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Richard Cambridge produces poetry theatre, Where the Red Road Runs, at the Catch a Rising Star venue in Harvard Square, which told the story of the landing of Columbus from the perspective of the Native Americans.
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The first event took place on this day. Slams then started being held twice a week here to accomodate the rapidly growing poetry community.
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Michael Brown and Patricia Smith run the International Poetry Slam. Championship team members: Danny Solis, Richard Cambridge,
individual Runner Up Patricia Smith, Ray McNiece, and Benson Wheeler. -
The Cantab became one of seven hosts for the October 1992 International Poetry Slam. Shows started being held here every Wednesday night, making it one of the three oldest slams in the world. The venue quickly become known for open-mic night from 1992-1995.
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Richard Cambridge produces anoher poetry theater, Cigarette Papers, at the Institute for Contemporary Art in the Seaport District of Boston. The play explored the trials and tribulations of addiction.
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SlamNation was one of the first films to document the unique community of slam poetry, following the 1996 slam team on their journey to the 1996 National Poetry Slam in Portland, Oregon. The documnetary features performers such as Patricia Smitha and Michael Brown.
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Michael Brown helps organize the International Poetry Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden.
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After the then-regular, Jack McCarthy, urged her to perform at the Cantab for so long, Simone finally made an appearance here. Although she doesn't really remember her first performance, the experience opened her eyes to this unique community in Boston. Before this, she considered writing a solo pursuit, but this experience changed her outlook for the rest of her career.
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Michael Brown steps down after being the SlamMaster for 13 years
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Caroline Harvey, an assistant professor in the Liberal Arts department at the Berklee College of Music, helps the Berklee College of Music Slam Team win the "Spirit of Slam" award at the CUPSI event.
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Simone Beaubien serves as the Host City Director of the 2011 National Poetry Slam, which has been celebrated for record-breaking attendance with over 6,000 spectators.
