AMBER MATTICE
Assistant Reverb Editor
Words are pretty incredible on their own, but add in the intense and emotional tones that characterize slam poetry, said words become something new entirely.
Button Poetry, a Minnesota-based organization, is dedicated to bringing slam poetry to the forefront.
The organization takes poets from all over the world and records them performing in various situations such as formal competitions, smaller groups and college campuses. The poets are then featured on Button Poetry’s various media including Twitter, its official website and its YouTube account.
The YouTube account alone has over 500 videos, 487,638 subscribers and 106,670,612 viewers; this increases every day, as videos are uploaded regularly.
Button Poetry aims to make poetry readily available for everyone on various subjects. Performances about rape, mental disorders, feminism and many others are showcased.
Artists vary from the well-known to the newly-discovered. Anis Mojgani, for example, has travelled to many college campuses to speak about and perform his poetry, but Button Poetry also features artists such as Neil Hilborn, Lily Myers, Sabrina Banaim and Phil Kaye.
The organization works to emphasize that poetry is still relevant and powerful. In slam poetry, this generation has a medium for expression that is not as widely known. The use of personal experience and opinion adds several layers of emotion and makes it so relevant to everyone.
“I want my students to know that poetry is still important. It’s not just something you read in a book or pick up because you have to. It tells a story; It’s a narrative that is exciting and dramatic,” said English professor Kathryn Moore. Moore was recently introduced to Button Poetry and has spent time exploring the YouTube channel’s archives.
The poems are meant to educate people on topics that are sensitive and to allow people to voice opinions in a safe but inspiring environment.
Perhaps one of the most beneficial things about Button Poetry is that every performance is diverse and unique. Anyone can find a poem that they relate to. Whether it be about awkward first dates, activism in gay rights, or what it feels like to live with an anxiety disorder, the individuals performing hope to bring a sense of comfort to those who turn to poetry for support and as a personal outlet.
One of the organizations most viewed videos, with a total of 11,015,689 views, is a slam poem by Neil Hilborn titled “OCD” and the comments alone illustrate the intense and emotional reactions from viewers.
“That was an amazing performance. You could just see the pain in his eyes, the passion in his movements, and the sincere sadness in his voice. OCD is a terrible disorder to have to undergo, and yet, he manages to utilize it to make a breathtaking performance,” read a comment by Justin Le.
Despite the versatility that Button Poetry offers, the concept of a slam poem is still very obscure to many people. Exposing everyone to slam poetry through an online source would then open doors for students to attend the poetry slams on campus.
Fredonia holds poetry slams and spoken word contests often and with various themes. Those alone give this student population a means for a creative outlet outside of typical settings.
“I had never heard poetry like that before I went to see the Vagina Monologues. They had a lot of that [slam poetry] and it’s amazing to see the kind of difference it makes because it’s so much more real than what you usually hear,” said freshman media management and public relations double major, Celina Kryk.
Button Poetry allows for slam poetry to be appreciated for the art that it is. It is an interactive art that allows all people to utilize their words and create a narrative unique to themselves. It serves as a form of entertainment, a call to action and an inspiration for anyone with a desire to write and share poetry.