Tag Archives: poetry

2013 Tour

2013 Tour

I am glad to announce that HIDE AND SEEK: A Poet’s Memoir is here! for the second time! The first edition sold out!  And, the second is finding new homes going quick!
While that happens, I am creating, performing, and conducting workshops all over the US and North America.

Here are the first few months of where I have been and where I would like to go:

January 3 – 6:30pm – Newaygo, MI – The River Stop Cafe
January 4 – 9pm – Detroit, MI – The Manila Bay Cafe w/ Deonte Osayende and LaShaun Phoenix Kotaran
January 5 – 6pm – Tipton, MI – The Collapse House w/ Jon Felton, The Milky Eyed Menders, and The Illogical Spoon
January 7 – 4pm – Fremont, MI – Fremont Middle School ASP
January 8 – 9am – Newaygo, MI – Newaygo High School
January 8 – 12pm – Fremont, MI – Fremont Christian Middle School
January 19 – 8pm – Portland, OR – The Back Door Theater w/ Novosti and DLUXTL
January 24 – 6pm – Olympia, WA – The Flaming Eggplant – 2700 Evergreen Parkway NW – w/ Coyote Scofflaw (open mic) January 27 – 8pm – Portland, OR – Poetry Slam at Backspace cafe w/ Mike McGee and Doc Luben
January 28 – 8:30pm – Bellingham, WA – Poetry Night – The Amadeus Project – 1209 Cornwall Ave
January 29 – 7pm – Seattle, WA – Seattle Poetry Slam – w/ Amber Flame and Josh Coles – Re-bar 1114 Howell St.
February 1 – 8pm – Portland, OR – The Waypost w/ Jen Deale, John Chap, and Jon Ransom
February 2 – 9:40pm – St. Johns (Portland), OR – St. Johns Booksellers w/ Justin, Bill, and Matt Price and more
February 7 – 3:30pm – Omaha, NE – Westside Highschool – LTAB poetry group February 7 – 9pm – Omaha, NE – Loui’s February 8 – 7pm – Omaha, NE – Greengo Coffee and Deli – w/ D.C. Lutz, Paul Clark, Rene Harper, and Sara Wehbe February 12 – 6:00pm – Portland, OR – River’s Edge Hotel – (Gathering of Life Coaches)
February 14 – 7pm – Vancouver, WA – Cover to Cover Books – w/Amy Temple Harper, Pecos B Jett, and Mike G.
February 24 – 8pm – Portland, OR – The Portland Poetry Slam Sem-finals!!! – with Marty McConnell and Melissa Rose.
February 28 – 7pm – Corvallis, OR – Poetics Corvallis – Old World Deli, 341 Southwest 2nd Street
March 1 – 6pm – Portland, OR – 4335 NE Sumner St. – w/ Jonathan Brinkley and Betsy LeVine
March 9 – 8pm – Portland, OR – The Poetree House – w/ Joshua Grace, Todd Fadel, Seth Martin, Jesse Gardner, and Nolan Frank
March 10 – 8pm – Portlanld, OR – The Portland Poetry Slam @ Backspace Cafe w/ Samantha Peterson, Beau Williams, and Will Gibson
March 11- 8pm – Portland, OR – The White Eagle McMenamin’s Pub – w/ Jolliff and Bubble Cats
March 12 – 7pm – Seattle, WA – The Fremont Abbey – The Seattle Round w/ The Maldives, Erin Rae, Star Anna, and Savy
March 14 – 6:30pm – Portland, OR – Concordia University – The George R. White Library 2800 NE Liberty Street – w/ Djinn Maury
March 15 – 7pm – Lake Oswego, OR – New Thought Center for Spiritual Living – w/ Laura Ivancie
March – Salt Lake City, UT – Greenhouse Effect – w/ Jessie Parent, Nick Shifrar, and Ben Barker.
April – Chelsea, MI – The Literary Walk – Back To the Roots
May 2 – Newaygo, MI – The River Stop Café – w/ Sandra Barnard, Jerry Arlen, and more.
May 14 – Grand Rapids, MI – The BOB – Dr. Grin’s Comedy Club – The Message Poetry Slam – w/ Shewrites, Fable, & Rachel Gleason
May 23 – Newaygo, MI – The River Stop Café – w/ Sandra Bernard, Marqueta Bernard, and more.
June 17/18 – Montague, MI – The Book Knook – w/ pianist Bryan Uecker
June 25 – Grand Rapids, MI – The BOB – Dr. Grin’s Comedy Club – The Message Poetry Slam
October 2 – Spokane, WA – The Individual World Poetry Slam – last chance qualifier
October 8, 2013 – Portland, OR – Round 1 – Portland Abbey Arts w/ Novosti, Caroline Belk, Jonah Sissoyev, and Kali Hoesch
December 6, 2013 – Detroit, MI – Manila Bay Café

If you don’t see YOUR TOWN and would like to, just ask:  garretpotter@yahoo.com
Thank you.  See you soon!

 

Want to see where I went in 2012?

June 22, 2012 – 7pm – Portland, OR – Three Friends Coffee House
June 23 – 1:00 PM & 2:30 PM – Portland, OR – AJ Java Coffee
June 23 – 8:30pm – Portland, OR – 628 NE Roselawn
June 25 – 7pm – Salt Lake City, UT – Salt City Slam, Moe’s
June 26 – 8:30pm – Boulder, CO – 3460 Colorado Ave, Apt B4
June 30 – 9pm – Omaha, NE – Barley Street Tavern
July 1, 2012 – 8pm – Bellevue, NE – 14215 S. 21st. Street
July 4-7 – Multiple – Bushnell, IL – Cornerstone Music Festival
July 8 – Multiple – Plainfield, IN – The Journey – 620 S. Carr – 9am, 11am, and 7:30pm).
July 10 – 9pm – Springfield, OH – Radical Roots – 3343 West Jackson Rd
July 11 – 10pm – Chicago, IL – Heartland Cafe
July 12 – 8pm – Madison, WI – Erin Snug Irish Pub
July 13 – 12:30pm – Jackson, MI – Cuppa Coffee
July 13 – 8pm – Jackson, Michigan – The Fourth Wall (Poetry Slam)
July 14 – Rest Day (off day) – Chelsea, MI – Back To The Roots
July 15 – 11am – Fowlerville, MI – Fowlerville Freedom Center
July 16 – Adventure day – Detroit, Michigan
July 17 – 9PM – Pittsburgh, PA – Slam of Steel at the Shadow Lounge 5972 Baum Boulevard
July 18 – Birth-day-off – Lansing, MI – (shared at Soup Spoon Cafe – Thanks for the meal and treats!)
July 20 – 10pm – Philadelphia, PA – Station Bar w/ Destroy Nate Allen and Rob, Lately.
July 23 – 8pm – Philadelphia, PA – The Fire
July 23 – 9pm – Philadelphia, PA – Fergie’s Pub
July 24 – 7pm – Philadelphia, PA – Circle Cell
July 25 – 9:30pm – Manhattan, NY – The Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe
July 26 – 7:30pm – Philadelphia, PA – Bring Your Words
July 27 – 10pm – Manhattan, NY – The Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe
July 30 – 8pm – East Avon, NY – The Blue Brick – w/ Destroy Nate Allen and Treasury
August 1, 2012 – 7:30pm – East Straudsburg, PA – Mothership 2.0 House – w/Destroy Nate Allen and Rob Lately
August 2 – 7pm – Philadelphia, PA – Pidgeon Presents ReSourceArts – Crane Arts Old School
August 2 – 9pm – Philadelphia, PA – Jus’ Words open mic 1310 N. Broad St.
August 8-11 – Multiple – Charlotte, NC – The National Poetry Slam
August 11 – 4pm – Charlotte, NC – Jesus Radicals Conf.
August 12 – 9pm – Asheville, NC – Patton and Haywood Triangle
August 13 – 7pm – Nashville, TN 1007 Stainback Ave. w/Rheanna Downey, Jasmine Commerce, and Beards.
August 15 – 7pm – Rome, GA – 24 Elmwood St. NE
August 23 – 8pm – New Orleans, LA – JuJu Bag Cafe
August 26 – 6 pm, Austin, TX – Progress Coffee w/ Peter Nevland, Keith Ruckus, and Danny Strack
August 28 – 8pm – Austin Poetry Slam w/ Mike McGee and Kevin Burke
August 30 – 7-9:30pm – Addison, TX – Groove Thursdays at Azure
August 31 – 12:45pm – Waxahachie, TX – SAGU Ellis Building – Poetry Class
September 1, 2012 – 8PM – Little Rock, AR – 618 N. Martin St.
September 12 – 7PM – Little Rock, AR – Arkansas Arts Center – Rock City Slam – w/ Houston Hughes:
September 14 – 9PM – Conway, AR – University of Central Arkansas – Baridon Hall
September 17 – 8PM – Springfield, MO – Michael’s Place – 2230 N. Fremont Ave Apt. A
September 20 – 7 PM – Springfield, MO – MO Poetry Slam @ Nathan P. Murphy’s with GuysLikeUs, Michelle Nimmo, Seth White, and Heidi Therrien.
September 22 – 8 PM – Springfield, MO – Sandstrom Place – 2226 N. Fremont
September 26 – 9:30PM – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Arts Bar – 3611 Broadway Blvd. w/ Theory & Angela Roulette
October 1, 2012 – 9pm – Omaha, NE – PROVOKE Poetry at The PS Collective 6056 Maple St. w/ Jack Hubbard
October 4 – 7pm – Fayetteville, AR – The individual World Poetry Slam – Teatro Scarpino – 329 N. West Ave
October 5 – 9pm – Fayetteville, AR – The individual World Poetry Slam – Matt Miller Studio – 21 W. Mountain St. Suite 26
October 7 – 7pm – Kansas City, MO – Club 7 Hundred  – 700 Southwest Blvd. w/ Nightlife Jones & Angela Roulette
October 8 – 7pm – Lincoln, NE – Crescent Moon Coffee – 140 N. 8th St. #10 Lower Level w/ David Huffman & Rex Walton
October 12 – 7pm – Emporia, KS – 630 Wilson St. – w/ Joe Foster & more.
October 14 – 8:30pm – Boulder, CO – 4905 Ricara Drive, (80303) – w/ Jessica Rose Sanders and more
October 16 – 8pm – Ogden, UT – The Slam at Grounds For Coffee – 111 25th Street, Ogden, Utah 84401
October 25 – 8pm – Portland, OR – The Broetry Finale at The Pointy House – w/Greg Girding and Chris Leja
October 28 – 9am – Mt. Tabor Presbyterian Church – SE 55th and Belmont
October 28 – 8pm – Portland, OR – The Portland Poetry Slam – Backspace Cafe – w/ Mark Anderson
November 1, 2012 – 10am – Portland, OR – Warner Pacific College – chapel
November 7 – 8pm – Portland, OR – Townshend’s Alberta Street Tea House – w/ Kelli Schaefer
November 9 – Bend, OR – 7pm – Don’s Place – 1761 Troon Avenue
November 10 – 8pm – Eugene, OR – Eugene Poetry Slam @ Tsunami Books w/ Joaquin Zihuatanejo, Natasha Carrizosa, and Robyn Bateman.
November 11 – 7pm – Bend, OR – The Shepherd and The Knucklehead at Platypus Pub.
November 12 – 7pm – Portland, OR – The Shepherd and The Knucklehead at Caldera Pub
November 15 – 6:30pm – Portland, OR – Get Loud Poetry Slam 2012 – Benson Polytechnic High School
November  26 – 7pm – Sellwood (Portland), OR – Corkscrew Wine Bar – w/ Jon Ransom
November 27 – 7pm – Vancouver, WA – Barnes & Noble – w/ David Axelrod
November 30 – 1pm – Silverton, OR – Unofficial performance for the staff of CRC
December 3, 2012 – 7pm – Portland, OR – Three Friends Coffee House w/ Josh Hoke and Alexa Wildish
December 7 – 7pm – Olympia, WA – Last Word Books – Poetry Slam w/ Sierra Demulder
December 19 – 7pm – Portland, OR – The Back Door Theater w/ Novosti, Monica Storss, and Melissa Rose
December 27, 2012 – 9pm – Evanston (Chicago), IL – The Patch House – Reba Place

A boat for my heart

A boat for my heart

After four summer months of poetry tour adventures all over the US, I returned to Portland, Oregon.  And the rain and clouds were there, ready to greet me with their cold, wet immersion and embrace, more than I had expected or welcomed.  At the same time, hurricane winds, rain, and flooding hit New England–these were called Sandy.  Feeling, I wrote.  And feeling I came upon an idea for relief …our ears, eyes, and minds open. our hearts beat, held in palms, gently. a boat approaches, to carry us through the storm… Kelli Schaefer offered to join me in a show named…

A boat for my heart

I built a boat for my heart,
and tried to send it to myself in the mail,
but the post office closed
when the storms came
and I had to carry it in my palms—
my heart
my vulnerable.

God build a boat for my heart,
entrusted men to bring it to me,
in due time,
but the men got all the directions mixed up and varied–
confused assembly, confusing themselves;
I only got pieces
that might make a boat,
that might be from God,
but might not.

I built a boat for your heart,
but you kept it inside,
wouldn’t come let it out, at the dock,
didn’t trust,
wouldn’t chance;
so I rowed it alone,
carrying nothing but my solitude,
me and the oars, o’er and o’er.

But, my heart build a boat for itself
out of all the charred remains,
found them strewn about my sensory memory,
plucked them out from its sides and feet
and put them together to make new moments.
In the new moments,
my heart remembers how it never was but ought to have been.
It is a beautiful heart-boat
floating, sailing on the seas.
The wave-waters shimmer,
the moon is out,
it is rocking me to sleep.

Copyright 2012, Garret W. Potter, Portland, OR.

The individual World Poetry Slam, 2012, in Fayetteville, AR October 3-6

The individual World Poetry Slam, 2012, in Fayetteville, AR October 3-6

Hello friends.

I am headed South to Fayetteville, AR tonight.
Tomorrow begins day one of competition for the individual World Poetry Slam.

http://iwps.poetryslam.com/

While touring in Arkansas in September, I qualified to compete in the tournament.
Now, the time is at hand.  Seventy-two talented poets from all over the world will convene.
Each day there are competition rounds, seminars, work shops, and open mics.
The top twelve poets will advance to the finals on Saturday.
I have been working steadily in preparation and I am excited to share the experience.
Thank you for all of your thoughts, prayers, support, and encouragement.
So many of you are with me in this season, out on the road–you are vital, keeping me going and sharing each day.

With anticipation, appreciation, and love,

Garret