My dearest tomboyfriend has a crushing disability and needs a back brace. They cost a shitload. You can help her Brace Herself. <—Click here to check out amazing and actual works of art donated for auction. By bidding, you can get great works of art AND help someone ease their pain AND possibly help correct a debilitating condition. You also get my deepest gratitude.
Help me spread the word and website far and wide: http://braceherself.blogspot.com
One of my favorite things to do is offer up coaching and advice to poetry performers preparing work for the stage, especially with regard to poetry slam competitions. My experience in poetic competition is unique and storied. I thought – since I am on a “very long hiatus” from competing for titles and monetary gain – why not help others in their pursuits?”
I know that I cannot be in every town at once, and there is nothing like the benefits of one-on-one coaching of spoken word performance, so I am offering a simple avenue to my services via the internet. If you have Skype and are in need of performance advice and critique from someone like me (or me specifically,) than this might be for you.
As you can see in this PayPal drop-down menu I have broken it up into three groups (if you cannot see the form, go here: http://www.mikemcgee.net/spoken-workshop
One-Hour Personal Performance Poetry Coaching By Mike McGee $100.00
On Skype, I will watch, critique and guide up to two (2) poems (or one group poem.) We can discuss anything about poetry slam, competitive strategy and the performances in question. I may – and usually do – advise toward some written editing of the poems.
Can be scheduled as two 30-minute sessions. Scheduling dates based on availability between 8:00am and midnight, Pacific Time.
When ordered, I will contact you with instructions and questions about scheduling. I will also request an electronic text copy of the poem(s).
Half-Hour Personal Performance Poetry Coaching By Mike McGee $40.00
On Skype, I will watch, critique and guide one (1) poem (NO group poems.) We can discuss anything about poetry slam, competitive strategy and the performances in question. I may – and usually do – advise toward some written editing of the poems.
Can be scheduled as two 30-minute sessions. Scheduling dates based on availability between 8:00am and midnight, Pacific Time.
When ordered, I will contact you with instructions and questions about scheduling. I will also request an electronic text copy of the poem(s).
Two Drafts of Poetry Editing By Mike McGee
I will read, edit, advise any one (1) poem, especially written for the stage. I will offer two rounds of edits and recommendations by email. You send me your poem, I edit it and send it back. You make edits, and accept or reject my edits, and send it back to me. I do one more round of editing to the poem and return it to you. We can discuss the poem over email.
BE SURE TO:
…have a solid internet connection
…commit to the work you will do
…schedule your time wisely with no interruptions
…have a goal in mind with your work
…be honest with me about your results
…use our time wisely during the workshop period (we can catch up another time)
…take notes
Once the workshops have been completed, there will be no refunds.
Sweet Nuggets is a collection of never-before-released live recordings, songs, and miscellany from a variety of previous albums, recorded between 1997 and 2007. This compilation is a complete catalogue of my favorite work.
ALBUM OVERVIEW
Before I started writing poetry, I formed a number of bands (Goat’s Milk, Echo 3, L.I.N.U.S.) with friends Bryan Coy, Kelley Mayne, Ryan Hernandez, Matt Overby and Bryce Dumont.
Through all of our incarnations, Bryce and I have stuck together, re-forming as Monotwin, an experiment in two very different tastes converging on one sound. Bryce now lives with his family in Devon, England, but we have sworn to never break up the “band” and intend to continue creating music together.
In 2003, just prior to embarking on a very long foray into the world of spoken word touring, Shane Koyczan and I formed Tons Of Fun University, or T.O.F.U., a performance poetry “band,” if you will. Shortly after our formation, C.R. Avery collaborated with us for a stint on CBC’s late-night program “ZeD.” We very quickly realized that C.R. belonged in the group permanently. We’ve released two albums independently and played the vast Canadian festival circuit. C.R. and Bryce have proven to be fantastic artists, consummate musicians and phenomenal producers.
This ensemble of my poetry is a good taste of everything I’ve involved myself with over the last fifteen years of recording. Along with the music and poetry, and some of the very first recordings of certain poems, is a blend of personal messages from friends and family that I’ve saved since 2008.
I hope you enjoy this collection as much as I’ve enjoyed performing these poems over the years. Thank you for being here. You are a sweet nugget.
POEM FOR THE GIRL WHO HAS LOST HER FATHER (FOR SARAH)
by Mike McGee
November 29, 2010
Dearest, woman
Your life has not ended
but chapters have closed themselves
Yes, maybe before you finished enjoying them
Nonetheless
Keep reading
This is not a collapse, but
it is a completion in which you were not given full authority over
We never are
He was all to one of your halves
Now you must be all to the rest of yours
Use the strength you loved him for having
You cannot finish his life for him
He will move to wherever you believe he should go
Hold onto his voice and hear it in your own
Let his scent linger and notice it in others
Tell them why you stand so close
Remember the times he held you so small
Lift yourself up to that height
at the very least
Do not treat death
like a thing that happens to the few
but the most that happens to the whole of us
Mention him in passing
and don’t ever stop passing
See him in your friends
Know that he is in your family so thoroughly
It usually takes this grand departure
for them to appear everywhere else
Let them hold you now
He taught you
You taught them
It is their turn to hold you
It is our turn to hold you close
If and when you don’t feel him around you
Look into a mirror or simply
pay attention to your own living
and he will appear more a more often
Thank him for the good you are
For the love he taught you
and the time he gave
Name him in new people
if you must
but surely keep his name in ink
somewhere
as reminder and reclamation
Know that he loved you
These cycles are so natural
that there is no reason for us to fight them
We try so desperately to have love returned to us
from creatures so temporary
yet, we give it away to them knowing
it must all end someday
This is the smartest thing we know how to do
So honor his life and
enter him into the ears of those who should listen
Keep him living
in those who are breathing still
I spent the beginning of this week decompressing from last Friday’s Oversocial Mofo Revue. Only the second one held so far and another sell-out crowd. Perez and I have hit upon something here in San José. The every other month schedule must have something to do with it.
I followed Mofo with a pleasant weekend of relaxation with the occasional session of friends. I love open mics and the one at Philz Coffee in downtown San José is pretty handy. I spent this last Monday night there with Tristissima, my roommate William, and various open mic-ers. A lot of swell talent seems to land there from time to time.
I overslept a bit on Tuesday and was rushed by my godsend-of-another roommate Charlie to San José International Airport. One Houston layover and six hours later I ended up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. My good man Ronnie Stephens met me at the pick-up curb and we immediately drove two hours to Fayetteville, Arkansas. So much for Tulsa.
I spent 48 fantastic hours in Arkansas. I am aware that I may be one of the only people to ever use that phrase. I got to catch up with the Stephenses, Russ Ritter and Doug Shields and eat some great food.
I was in town to perform at the University of Arkansas Coffeehouse Open Mic and Poetry Slam. I watched the open mic, did a 35 minutes set, then hosted the poetry slam. It was packed and electric throughout the night. Don’t sleep on Fayetteville. They’re excited about words.
In the morning, Ronnie and I headed back to Tulsa. I hadn’t slept after my gig, so I slept pretty hard on the ride to the airport. I felt bad dozing off on Mr. Stephens, but he’s too kind and generous to ever complain about me. He really should though. One Houston layover and ten hours later I ended up back in San José.
I met Perez to discuss Mofo. Listened to a poem he’s been stuck on for a while and his new edits made it perfect. He’s such a good writer. We joked around a bunch and talked about women. We ate pizza and called it a night. At home I watched an episode of Futurama and dozed off.
This morning I woke up at 7:04am and saw William off to work. I made some brown rice and coffee. I took some phone calls and washed clothes, dishes and surfed the tres-dubs. Before I knew it, William was home and we watched a few episodes of Mr. Show.
My self-imposed exile indoors got me a bit stir crazy, so William and I have come to this café near the house. There is a very tiny live music performance happening. A man is playing the blues, switching between an acoustic and a steel guitar depending on the song. The three people left in here are bobbing and tapping to his tunes. They either have nothing better to do or are pretending they came for him.
I am drinking decaf because it is almost 10:00pm and I want to sleep again. The musician has no idea that I am blogging about how horrible his music is. I feel guilty saying so, but it’s an important detail to my subtle week. It’s also a closing capper to a decade-plus of open mics and live performance. I’ve sucked on stage before, most certainly.
But he sure is making me think. I should put a dollar in his tip jar. Not for his talent, a redemption. My unspoken two cents for all the bad open mic performers I’ve seen this month alone. This guys number 51, I’m sure, so he gets the dollar.
The Oversocial Mofo Revue is back! November 12, 2010 @ Anno Domini in downtown San Jose. Our first show at AD was a smash success and this one already looks to be just as hearty!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Line up at 7:30pm. Show promptly at 8pm! Seats are very limited!
Anno Domini
366 South First Street
San Jose, CA
(Free street parking after 6pm. Pay garage at corner of 2nd and San Carlos.) Click here to join our Facebook group.
Join our MOFO Mailer by sending a BLANK email to: MOFO MAILER!
POTENTIAL POETRY COMPETITORS: Read through to learn about our slight change in the poetry slam structure.
The OVERSOCIAL MOFO REVUE is the groundbreaking variety show hosted by “Mighty” Mike McGee, David Perez, and Tatyana Brown with the musical stylings of The John Staedler Symphony Orchestra.
OUR THREE MAIN ACTS
Join us for Oakland’s poetess Joyce Lee, the lush sounds of San Jose’s Veronica Malki, San Francisco’s juggling wunderkind, Bronkar Lee and the all new San Jose Poetry Slam.
LIMITED SPACE. FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE. The outside line up begins at 7:30pm. The show will start at 8pm SHARP!
TICKETS (at door only)
Admission is between $6 and $11. You pay a base price of $5 then roll a die and pay the amount showing on the die.
SIGNING UP TO COMPETE IN THE SAN JOSE POETRY SLAM
All poets encouraged to sign up for the slam. WARNING! Slammers must come ready with more than two poems. See slam guidelines below BEFORE COMING TO THE VENUE. If you plan to perform in the poetry slam, line up outside before the draw at 7:45pm.
POETS PLEASE NOTE WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO COMPETE IN THE SAN JOSE POETRY SLAM!
1 one-minute poem
1 two-minute poem
2 three-minute poems
3 haiku (17 syllables each, we won’t time these, but we’ll be counting!)
Poets receive a 10-second grace period for each piece.
Judges selected at random and score from 0 to 100, NOT 0.0 to 10.0.
We will take 8 poets in the first round (7 random and the last 2nd place poet), selected randomly from the sign up list. The top 4 will advance to the second round. Then the two poets with the highest cumulative scores from the first two rounds advance to the Head-To-Head Bout.
SAN JOSE POETRY SLAM FORMAT BREAKDOWN
Round One: 8 poets/1 minute each
Round Two: Top 4 poets/2 minutes each
Head-To-Head: Top 2 poets compete clean slate in a best of three haiku match to select order, then two rounds of three minute poems. Cumulative score will determine winner.
2nd Place moves onto the next slam in January, first slot in the first round, automatic by.
1st Place WINNER is an automatic member of the possible 2011 San Jose Slam Team and receives $5 plus gifts from the Offering Box.
I stopped in Worcester this week to visit my old homestead. Melinda Lee and I eff around. Visit her site at http://www.melindalee.org
This entry was written by Mike McGee, posted on 12 October, 2010 at 12:38 PM, filed under Video Post and tagged melinda lee, video. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
“I will walk into the sunshine with you or you will not be my friend. I will instruct you and you will instruct me. I will learn things from you and you will learn things from me. Otherwise you can’t be my friend.” –Robert Guillaume
I found this quote in a newspaper in Texas in February 2004. It was in a section of the paper celebrating black history month. It has resonated with me for years and accompanied my signature on just about every Gmail I’ve sent out since 2004. Buddy Wakefield once told me it was the most apropos quote from someone like me. It is featured and credited in my first book. It comes from the book A Wealth of Wisdom from Simon & Schuster.
This quote has been hitting me hard lately. I realized that I make friends like McDonald’s makes kids fat. Sometimes I wonder what my impact is as a friend vs. those that see themselves as fans. I seem to skip the acquaintance phase of a relationship and call everyone my friend. I really do believe that strangers are merely friends I haven’t had the pleasure to meet yet.
I have been mailing more postcards and correspondence of late as well. I am really trying to connect on deeper, more tangible levels. I have re-re-reconsidered my use of Facebook and Twitter as these distant, disconnected forms of communication. More like email with pictures. I wish my website was enough to keep people connected and informed when I cannot be in their presence.
Here I sit at the Java Zone in Oberlin, Ohio, after a wonderful Nite Kite Poetry Revival show with Timmy Straw (amazing songwriter!), Anis Mojgani and Buddy Wakefield, and I realize more and more that I love the road and I love home. The two are not mutually compatible. This tour feels like the end of an era for everyone in the van. Each one of us has something to go back to after this. We’ve put so much on hold to be out here. This is the last tow for this specific group of bards and silly minstrels. While it is sad it is also very interesting to sit back and watch with wonder who will take the mantle. Who’s next to try on these streets to see how they fit? Who’s coming to the microphone next to tell it like it is or could be? Who wants to jump in a vehicle and go? Who’s willing to risk everything and put it out there in front of a group of strangers? It’s pretty easy when you give the love you get.
“Puddin’” and “Like” and “Open Letter to Neil Armstrong” are fun to perform, but they need a little break. I want to hear and feel more quality work. I want to write and perform more quality work.
My goal for the winter is to write. I’ve started the process and have gotten myself into a pattern of writing, even from the road. I will publish more work in journals and periodical literary publications. I have essays and thoughts to put to paper. I also have Scrabble™ tournaments to enter… I have 1,000 pages to write by September 2011. I have yoga and quality eating to do. It will be the busiest hibernation I’ve ever willingly set forth. I will grow the fuck up. I will be historically relevant and helpful. I will open my eyes a little more each year before I die. I will lose weight and climb trees. I will visit Worcester every year and beat someone at poker in MacMillan’s basement. I will visit Vancouver every year and marvel at what a wonderful home it has been to me over the years. I will visit Chicago and wonder why I don’t live there yet. I will visit Albuquerque and feel like an hermano to every poet there. I come back to Oberlin. I will. I will. I will. I give my word. This town is beautiful.
Anis, Buddy and I all wondered what Oberlin would be like. None of us had ever been here. We prepared for a sleepy town of people who do not know spoken word. We were blessed with a raucous crowd of rabid spoken word aficionados, plus the likes of fellow poets Blaire Miller Bommer, Keisha Foster, Taylor Johnson, and Dain Michael Down. After a standing ovation and dozens of hugs, plus some crying and a whole lot of love, we went to a candy store and acted like kids.
I will tour again in the spring. I will not tour again with more than two other people. Three should be maximum membership to any spoken word group. I assure this is a wise assessment from experience and not just my own. I will not tour for more than a month at a time, except for Europe.
While sitting here and writing, a lovely young lady approached me to say that I was “really, very funny last night.” That is a splendid compliment and confirmation. I have found the write path.
I am a lucky man. I am a lucky man. I am a lucky man.
Also, I have not forgotten about the Gabrielle Bouliane Award or my Short Ones For the Shitter chapbook compilation, I have just had a few too many financial setbacks for the time being. Get eff’d September 2010!
Started a writing group tonight. It will commence at Barefoot Coffee in Santa Clara at 7:30pm on the last Tuesday of every month. Tonight we had nine writers and it went very, very well.
Want to write more? Need inspiration? Are you near Silicon Valley? Bring your favorite writing utensils, creative modes, willingness to share poetry aloud, maybe a snack to share, and cash to support the café. Will run at least an hour outdoors if weather permits.
Here are the writing prompts for tonight’s writing group, facilitated by yours truly.
PROMPT #1
Use this phrase as a jump point for a 5-line poem:
“In order to love life, I must love living and live love like losing it would look like I have no life left to live.”
Share & discuss.
PROMPT #2
Write a poem for up to 10 minutes from the perspective of a bacteria about to infect your body.
Share & discuss.
PROMPT #3
You have a phone number that allows you to make one 5 minute phone call to any dead person. Who do you call, what do you say?
Write for 10 minutes.
Share & discuss.
PROMPT #4
Write freely for 15 minutes while random Wikipedia articles are read aloud.
