Category Archives: Events

Enter the Poetarium:
On the Problem and Promise of Alex Caldiero’s Sonosophy

After nine years of doctoral study, I’m finally putting my PhD to bed. I defend my dissertation the morning of May 1 and will be presenting some of my research in a colloquium that afternoon. If anyone’s in the Pocatello area and would like to drop in for my presentation, here are the details: Title: “Enter the Poetarium: On the… Read more »

The First Live #MormonPoetrySlam

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This past Saturday, I hosted nine poets in the first Live #MormonPoetrySlam. It was sponsored by the Association for Mormon Letters, who made space for us in this year’s mini-conference. As I’ve noted on the site’s new #MormonPoetrySlam page, the Live #MormonPoetrySlam is an outgrowth of the Mormon poetry group reading events I’ve planned since Fire in the Pasture released…. Read more »

The 2014 #MormonPoetrySlam Entries are in…

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The submissions are in for the 2nd Annual #MormonPoetrySlam: eighteen poems from nine readers (a slight increase from last year). Now that our contestants have thrown their voices into the ring, here’s how the competition will go down: Beginning Monday, December 1, I’ll post a performance each day from Monday–Saturday until I’ve shared all eighteen. That will round things off… Read more »

Four Poems for Halloween: A #MormonPoetrySlam Playlist

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It’s Halloween and you’ve got just over two weeks to submit performances for the #MormonPoetrySlam. I’m, of course, celebrating both occasions with poetry. Here’s a SoundCloud playlist of me reading four Halloween-ish poems by Mormon poets Colin B. Douglas, Deja Earley, Theric Jepson, and Dayna Patterson. Let the readings inspire you to join in on the #MormonPoetrySlam fun. Shout it… Read more »

Announcing the 2nd Annual #MormonPoetrySlam

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2nd Annual Mormon Poetry Slam Pass Along

Since last year’s #MormonPoetrySlam was, by my accounting, a success (peruse the event archive here and review the performances here), I’ve decided to make it an annual event. Here’s this year’s call for submissions: It’s time for the 2nd Annual #MormonPoetrySlam! This isn’t your run-of-the-Green-Mill slam, however—among other things, it’s not a live, face-to-face event; there will be no time… Read more »

The Makar, Making, and Mormonism: Tyler’s 2014 AML Conference Proposal

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Each year, my wife and I look forward to making a pilgrimage to Orem, Utah to attend the annual Association for Mormon Letters Conference. I’ve also made it an annual practice to share my conference proposal once I’ve submitted it. In 2012, I proposed and presented “Situating Sonosophy: De/constructing Alex Caldiero’s ‘Poetarium’” and in 2013 I proposed “Performative Poesis and… Read more »

Come Celebrate Love & Nature, Nature & Love on Wilderness Interface Zone

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Swan Love

In the mood for some love poems? Well, during February, Wilderness Interface Zone is hosting its traditional month-long celebration of love and the natural world: Love of Nature Nature of Love Month. To that end, they’ve issued an open call for nature-themed, love-laced writing and visual arts: original poetry, essays, blocks of fiction, art, music (mp3s), videos or other media… Read more »

The #MormonPoetrySlam Winners

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I’m pleased to announce the winners of the 2013 #MormonPoetrySlam: The Audience Choice Performance goes to Laura Craner reading “Introduction to the Mysteries (or How to Read a Poem)” by Patricia Karamesines. * * * The Editor’s Pick Performance goes to Ben Abbott reading “The Excommunicate” by Danny Nelson. Congratulations to Laura and Ben! And a huge thanks to all… Read more »

Vote for Your Favorite #MormonPoetrySlam Performance

Now that the final performance in the first Mormon Poetry Slam has posted (see the event archive here), it’s time to determine the winner of the Audience Choice Award. For your consideration and reviewing pleasure, here are the fourteen entries, listed in order of appearance: [View the story “The 2013 #MormonPoetrySlam” on Storify] Now that you’ve reviewed the entries, before… Read more »

Mormon Poetry Slam, Day 14: Ben Abbott Reads
“An Open Letter to Joseph Smith, Charlatan” by Jonathon Penny

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“An Open Letter to Joseph Smith, Charlatan” by Jonathon Penny
"Gilgal Garden Joseph Smith Sphinx" from Photo Dean on Flickr

Here’s a link to Jonathon’s poem if you’d like to follow along as Ben reads. Read more about the Mormon Poetry Slam here and see the posting schedule here. Vote for your favorite performance here (the link will go live once all the entries have been posted). Use #MormonPoetrySlam if you post about this in your social media circles.