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@_john138

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Iā€™ve had the honor of bringing dozens and dozens of nationally renowned poets with the most lethal pens from across the country to Amherst, MA over the past 4 years ā€” something the campus of @umass has NEVER seenā€¼ļøšŸ’Ž Though I sunsetted the BRIGHT MOMENTS šŸŽ¤ Poetry Series earlier this year, I reflect on the ways Iā€™ve grown and sharpened as a producer with @umassfac and cultural curator overall. Iā€™m honored that so many poets (would need several posts to show them all) trusted me to host the stories they chose to share and exchanged energy with students who needed to hear these poems. The sheer amount of messages, emails or personal testimonies I received from around the way on how Bright Moments helped them to relate, raise their confidence + awareness, was a safe space to release or helped them become a better poet speaks for itself. šŸ„¹ My dissertation research on out-of-school literacies highlights just this ā€” how students are impacted by poetry outside of the classroom. The undergrads I coach in poetry, staff, faculty, community & high schoolers have been sharpened by just being in the space. Viewing my emergent scholarship and my practitioner work as a performance artist have always gone hand in hand. I cannot say thank you enough to the poets, the team, and the people who have supported my vision of bridging the academy and the community through spoken word. 20 years of writing and performing, and Iā€™m grateful to leave a small footprint in the sand for whatever itā€™s worth. šŸ‘£ā³ #PoetScholar #lyricalfaithpoetry #umass #poetsofinstagram #explorepage
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This month, we are diving into Character. Taking the stage as our featured headliner for the evening is none other than John Burke. @_john138 brings a masterclass in spoken word to our mic. You wonā€™t want to miss this! As always links to sign up for our slam and buy tickets to attend the show are in our bio. This month, we are diving into Character. Whether youā€™re resurrecting a villain from classic literature, stepping into the shoes of an original creation, or exploring a pop-culture icon,. Costumes, personas, and character-driven perspectives are the name of game this month. As always links to sign up for our slam and buy tickets to attend the show are in our bio.
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@_john138 is a force to be reckoned with wherever he goes. Charm City Slam was no different. See the full video on YT šŸŽ„ @marcusglorick #charmcityslam #veteran #homeless #pidgeons #usa
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DARING TO LOVEā€” Itā€™s a double holiday today: the Summer Solstice and Fatherā€™s Day rolled into one. Quite a confluence of feelings as a result. Uninhibited joy for one, admittedly conflicted for the other. I feel the changing of the season from spring to summer with a pagan-like abandon. I celebrate the Summer Solstice with rituals and memories, music and nature. For Fatherā€™s Day I think about my dad and how limited my memories are of him. We were estranged for most of my adult life, and while I remember his love for baseball, his laughter at silly comedies, and the way he ordered his scrambled eggs ā€œloose,ā€ I canā€™t fully summon him in my mind. I have the most profound respect for good dads. My father-in-law Carl was the best and kindest man I have ever known, and it shows in his six children ā€” including the one I married ā€” in the love, joy and warmth the parents in the group share with their own children and all of them share with each other. I rejoice seeing friends of mine who are clearly enjoying every moment being a father, despite the very real challenges that come with the territory. I wonā€™t tag them here for fear of making them blush. Or maybe I will. šŸ˜† Didnā€™t know it beforehand, but after a dinner of grilled cod and asparagus last night under a moon rising above the white pines, I watched a film called ā€œAftersun,ā€ which somehow combined the essence of my own feelings about my dad. I had to read about the film afterwards to fully understand some of the things I missed. But in the lyrics of ā€œUnder Pressure,ā€ the song that frames one of the final scenes, the truth about our love ones and our memories of them emerged: ā€œCause loveā€™s such an old-fashioned word And love dares you to care for The people on the edge of the night And love dares you to change our way of Caring about ourselves.ā€ Happy Fatherā€™s Day to all the dads out there, and the blessings of abundant summer on everyone who dares to love. ______ ā€¢ Sweatshirt: @buzzricksons_official ā€¢ Jeans: @therealmccoys.jp #selvedgedenim ā€¢ Sneakers: @converse #ct70 #chucks #mensstyle #hudsonvalley
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My team, My niggas, My family. Baltimore I love you. I trust you. šŸ–¤ So fried you owe me nothing. Charm City Slam are thee 2026 Southern Fried Champions šŸ†. We worked. We went to war. We won by beating the best versions of ourselves. The way I saw my team transform themselves and in turn me was a reminder that I belong here. The poems I heard at Southern Fried inspired me to push my pen! It was an honor sharing stages with poets from cities all over the country. Final stage was insane!!! @dapoetrylounge_co @richink_va @verbalslap_ct You all did yā€™all big ones! Yā€™all are so raw and powerful I will share final stage with yall as many times as we can! It was great seeing you @radithepoet ! I love how no matter what poem you do your smile still shines through!!! Jerri, I know you donā€™t have Instagram but I know this message will still find you! I loved the work you performed at So fried! Your haikus are beautiful and powerful. You have a gracious spirit. @jordan_with_da_poems the group piece you did about your homies and mental health had me tearing up and reminded me about the love and care that me and my homies pour into each other even when canā€™t for our own selves. Thank to every poet in So Fried, Thank you to the people and poets that supported us to get here. Thank you to @sofriedpoetry for putting on an amazing festival and giving so many talented writers a space to talk their shit! Thank you to my coach @saysomethingpoet for trusting in us and guiding us to victory. @blackchakra88 @ladybspeaks @denieroblack @thisiskeyma (young hoe) thank you all for being the team we needed to be this week, for this win. This week and the poets that surrounded me issued so much love and affirmation that I cannot stop thinking/feeling about. I oftentimes loose sight of who I am and the impact I create. My first southern friend showed me that I am powerful, that I am influential, and that my words and work matters. These divine messages have come to me at the a time where I have felt the lowest about myself. I have been reminded of who I am and what I do. I will not take it in vain but in vein. I love poetry. Thank you poetry for loving me back. -ObsidianšŸ–¤
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PMP Slam Competitions always set the tone ā€” real talent, real entertainment. Donā€™t miss out on June 6thšŸŽ™ļø Submissions due this Wednesday 5/13. (Link in bio) Get your tickets now at poetrymeplease.com
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Itā€™s national poetry month day 7/30 featuring @_john138 ! #charmcityslam #police #firstresponders #poetrycommunity #baltimore
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Grab Your TIX Now For THE SANCTUARY OPEN MIC EDITION Thatā€™s Going Down Onā€¦ šŸ—“ļøApril 11th ā°From 6pm - 9pm šŸ“At THE LEGACY CLUB | 144 Bleecker St | New York, NY 10012 @legacyclubbleecker THIS IS POETRY ONLY! šŸ”¹There will not be an opportunity to play music. šŸ”¹PERFORM YOUR BEST/FAVORITE POEM šŸ”¹Memorized poems are preferred but not required šŸ”¹Every performance will be recorded and clips posted on the Instagram page šŸ”¹Poets will not be allowed introductions, disclaimers, or outros (POEMS ONLY!!!). Brief introductions will be given by the host šŸ”¹One poem only not to exceed 3 minutes šŸ’»$20 online šŸšŖ$25 at the door šŸ“²FMI & TIX Follow @thesanctuarypoetry #PoetryShowcase #NewYorkPoetry #NewYorkCityPoetry #TheSanctuaryPoetry #defpoetryjam
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MEET YOUR JUDGES FOR THE APRIL 10TH SLAMā€¼ļøā€¼ļø JOHN BURKE a poet & performer based in Jersey City, NJ. A nationally ranked award winning poet & the 2x National Haiku champion; John released his chapbook ā€œearl greyā€ in 2019. He has worked as an educator, youth counselor and is a career fire fighter. LAWDITO New Jersey-based Latin indie pop artist Lawd Ito is a bilingual singer-songwriter and producer, Ito experiments with diverse Latin styles and fuses them with contemporary R&B, Pop and hip-hop. Recently, Lawd Ito placed in the top 50 nationwide for NPR musicā€™s 2025 Tiny Desk contest with his Puerto Rican Bomba rendition of his song ā€œAguanileā€. RALES Neo-Soul and R&B freestyle artist moving between New Jersey and New York, blending smooth melodies with spontaneous expression. Influenced by Sade and Masego, Rales creates music that feels intimate. His sound drifts between velvet vocals, groove-driven rhythms, and late-night storytelling. Rales draws listeners into a space where emotion, rhythm, and improvisation collide. KENDEE LOVE Kendee Love is a Spoken Word Artist from New Jersey whose work embodies hope, resilience, and the power of storytelling. Born in Liberia, West Africa, she survived civil war and moved to the United States at 12, discovering poetry as both refuge and healing. With a Masterā€™s in Social Work, she blends art and advocacy. performed at NJPAC, the Paterson Poetry Festival, Hartford LIT, and the prelude for renowned gospel artist CeCe Winans, and beyond. Her work was recently accepted for the forthcoming anthology Darling Nikki and has also been featured in When Women Speak Poetry Anthology Vol 1 and Whisper Whisper Shout. HAYWORTH Jersey City based musician and songwriter. After growing up in Austin, attended university for music at Paul McCartneyā€™s Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts in the UK. Began performing her original music in 2024 and has since won Hudson West Festā€™s new talent search, played across the tri-state area, and released her debut album, ā€œhonestly,ā€. Lyrically driven with powerful vocals, Hayworth is now working on her first produced EP and continuing to grow as an artist and person.
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A LONG-OVERDUE RECONNECTIONā€” I first made contact with @_john138 when I watched him reading his poetry in a video posted in his feed. I was struck by the intensity of his words and the power of his delivery. As luck would have it, I havenā€™t been able to catch one of his poetry-reading performances live. But it remains a big priority for me as he is easily one of the most interesting and compelling people I have met through IG. Being a relatively new dad ā€” his daughter turns two this weekend!ā€” we havenā€™t been able to get together for a while. But earlier this week we re-connected in Manhattan and caught up before he met up with his wife and kid for an afternoon in the city A man of many talents and interests, Johnā€”who is also a fireman and a real estate broker ā€” is a fascinating person to have a chat with. We talked a lot about current events in America, and about how men struggle to express themselves under the pressure of their perceived masculinity. You get the feeling chatting with him that if more men thought like him weā€™d live in a much healthier society. After a quick coffee on Columbus Circle, we strolled into Central Park to look for signs of spring. A bright bloom of yellow flowers made for a perfect backdrop to showcase the rather extraordinary color of his new leather jacket. It was a great walk and terrific talk ā€” hopefully a harbinger of many more to come. I asked John afterwards in a text to tell me about his eye-popping fit. Hereā€™s what he sent back: ā€œIndigo and Goods (@indigoandgoods)has been a staple in my wardrobe for the last seven years when I first came across the brand. Since then, I have garnered quite the collection of their garments. I canā€™t speak more highly of the brand and the products that they put out. The detail and quality is top notch. ā€œAs for the @ironheartdenim jacket... Iā€™ve never seen a leather jacket with such a beautiful color before. It was a MUST purchase and there was no other option honestly lol.ā€ Didnā€™t pick up who did some of his fantastic tattoos, but I remember him saying his boots are a collab between Indigo and Goods and @trickers_shoes. His pants are also by @indigoandgoods. Great stuff ā€” great guy!
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šŸŽ¤āœØ VOICES FOR CHANGE āœØšŸŽ¤ New Jersey, we are calling all poets. šŸ—£ Open Mic 6:00ā€“7:00 PM šŸ”„ Slam Competition 7:00ā€“8:45 PM šŸ’° $20 to enter the slam šŸ† Winner & runner-up split the pot + winner gets an additional $150 šŸŽŸ $25 guest entry Weā€™re looking for 10 slammers and there are only 5 slots left available. If youā€™ve been waiting for a sign, this is it. Step up to the mic. Plus sweet vendors, jewelry, fitness, drinks, and art on site. Tuesday, March 10th 2201 South Clinton Ave, South Plainfield, NJ Register now and tag a poet who needs to be in the room. #VoicesForChange #SpokenWord #PoetrySlam #NJEvents #NJ12 KyleLittleForCongress
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Raw creativity and your tribe are beams of light through the darkest of times. Let love be the frequency. šŸ¤Ž
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