Holidays inspire poetry just like every other misery inducing phenomenon. Generally, this poetry is bad. Which is why we host the Annual Bad Poetry Slam the First Tuesday of the New Year ! January 3rd, 2006 come to the Heidelberg to experience the worst poetry you will ever love. Since we lost veteran Bad Slammer Almighty Ray, we are sure to crown a new Worst Poet in Ann Arbor.

If you have been wondering what ever happened to Ann Arbor Slam favorite Ken Cormier, he’s alive and well and still performing. Taylor Mali of the Urbana Poetry Slam writes in their newsletter…

This week’s featured performer, Elis Eil recording artist Ken Cormier, may be well known to you. Cormier began his career as a recording artist & performance poet in Ann Arbor in 1995 with the self-released cassette tape “God Damn Doghouse.” Club-goers soon became enamored with Cormier’s wild performance style. His accessible melodies, percussion-driven arrangements, adventurous lyrics, and frantic fiction readings rated highly among audiences and critics in Ann Arbor, Detroit, New York City, and back in his native New England. With his trademark boom-box background tapes and his jerky, spasmodic gyrations, Cormier is instantly striking. Think David Byrne meets William S. Burroughs. He is quirky and inventive, with a subversive sense of humor. Currently finishing up his PhD at UConn, he has featured at Urbana once or twice before, years ago, with great success. Come check out this memorable poet/rock star!

It’s also the last open slam before next week’s semifinal! This is going to
be a good one.

As always, there’s an eight-poet open mic before the feature.
Sign-ups start at 6:30 pm and close at 7 pm. I found one last SCRABBLE board back from when we were sponsored by them, and I plan on giving it to Shappy to dispose of how he pleases.

Hope you can make it!

Metaphorically yours,

Taylor

If Ken is touring, you know I’m going to try to get him to come home to Ann Arbor. I’ll keep you posted.

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