FRIDAY NIGHT
Some wonderful people came by my house on Friday to celebrate Cynthia French’s birthday. Great conversations and some Bananagrams in the living room. I baked a cake, Melinda baked cupcakes. We had to use Tony Brown’s oven since ours won’t stay below 550 degrees no matter what we set it to. Anybody have any ideas?

Tony came upstairs as we were getting underway to tell us that he just watched Shane Koyczan perform at the Olympics.

GABRIELLE
Discovered the city of Buffalo, New York declared February 14 “Gabrielle Bouliane Day.” That is just so cool. Maybe next year a bunch of us should book a show there and truly celebrate her special day. The Bunny Up Show!
———
Word to the nerd.

FRIDAY NIGHT
Some wonderful people came by my house on Friday to celebrate Cynthia French’s birthday. Great conversations and some Bananagrams in the living room. I baked a cake, Melinda baked cupcakes. We had to use Tony Brown’s oven since ours won’t stay below 550 degrees no matter what we set it to. Anybody have any ideas?

Tony came upstairs as we were getting underway to tell us that he just watched Shane Koyczan perform at the Olympics.

GABRIELLE
Discovered the city of Buffalo, New York declared February 14 “Gabrielle Bouliane Day.” That is just so cool. Maybe next year a bunch of us should book a show there and truly celebrate her special day. The Bunny Up Show!
———
Word to the nerd.

Originally published at Mike McGee Town. You can comment here or there.

FROM LAST NIGHT’S ENTRY

THE GABRIELLE BOULIANE NATIONAL POETRY SLAM VOLUNTEER AWARD
I don’t have the specifics completely lined up, but every year after the National Poetry Slam, from here on out, I will award one volunteer $50 for their selfless work at that year’s event.

There will be a voting process whether I attend or not, as it will be handled via the internet. People will be nominated and voted on. Essays will have to be written as to why said volunteer deserves the award. The $50 is just to be tradition, as it certainly does not cover any expense laid out by said recipient, but it is to say thank you for all of their help and to put a name to the year’s example of selflessness in poetry slam.

I will create a page on my site for this award and ask a poet each year to design a simple award/plaque/statuette, in Gabrielle’s spirit, to also be awarded along with the monetary prize.

Any and all advice on this concept is certainly welcome.

I chose the National Poetry Slam because of its size and Gabrielle’s affiliation with it.

Your thoughts are a must.

This is a reposted section from my entry yesterday. I need as many ideas on this as possible. I called Rachel McKibbens and she has agreed to be the first to design a physical trophy/prize for this year’s recipient.

Read below, and please post any ideas you can come up with that might make this concept more badass.

I was a bit worried that I might be jumping the gun on naming an award after Gabrielle, but this is for me and her, a private award that has little connection with any organization. Bill MacMillan had lent $50 to Gabs this summer, and so she passed it on to me when I needed it, and I think if I continually pass it on to people, it’s what she would have wanted. It’s only $50, but it’s the principle of who and why they’re receiving it.

Does it need “National Poetry Slam” in the title? I’m pretty convinced it should be for volunteers, but what are your thoughts? Is it wise to wait a week or so after NPS to handle the nominations and voting? I think this will give nominators and voters time to consider their submission. What forum, format and protocol should I use for voting?

I really want to see what the community has to say about this. I will put together a page on my site once all of the details are collected and kinks are worked out. It’s all pretty simple, “Hey, everybody. Who deserves $50 and an award for helping out this year?” Then everyone can vote.

I need the voting to be public, but not anonymous. 1 person, 1 vote. Should I set up a group on Facebook? Should I allow anyone to submit by LiveJournal, Mike McGee Town, and the PoetrySlam.com Forums? I just checked and I am still a member of the forums. Rachel recommended I use the forums. I feel like one place to nominate people, one place to vote makes sense. I don’t want to do it by email, because I want it all to be very public, but I want people to have to be signed in to nominate and to vote. Lay out your structure!

Help!
———
Word to the nerd.
Bunny up.

FROM LAST NIGHT’S ENTRY

THE GABRIELLE BOULIANE NATIONAL POETRY SLAM VOLUNTEER AWARD
I don’t have the specifics completely lined up, but every year after the National Poetry Slam, from here on out, I will award one volunteer $50 for their selfless work at that year’s event.

There will be a voting process whether I attend or not, as it will be handled via the internet. People will be nominated and voted on. Essays will have to be written as to why said volunteer deserves the award. The $50 is just to be tradition, as it certainly does not cover any expense laid out by said recipient, but it is to say thank you for all of their help and to put a name to the year’s example of selflessness in poetry slam.

I will create a page on my site for this award and ask a poet each year to design a simple award/plaque/statuette, in Gabrielle’s spirit, to also be awarded along with the monetary prize.

Any and all advice on this concept is certainly welcome.

I chose the National Poetry Slam because of its size and Gabrielle’s affiliation with it.

Your thoughts are a must.

This is a reposted section from my entry yesterday. I need as many ideas on this as possible. I called Rachel McKibbens and she has agreed to be the first to design a physical trophy/prize for this year’s recipient.

Read below, and please post any ideas you can come up with that might make this concept more badass.

I was a bit worried that I might be jumping the gun on naming an award after Gabrielle, but this is for me and her, a private award that has little connection with any organization. Bill MacMillan had lent $50 to Gabs this summer, and so she passed it on to me when I needed it, and I think if I continually pass it on to people, it’s what she would have wanted. It’s only $50, but it’s the principle of who and why they’re receiving it.

Does it need “National Poetry Slam” in the title? I’m pretty convinced it should be for volunteers, but what are your thoughts? Is it wise to wait a week or so after NPS to handle the nominations and voting? I think this will give nominators and voters time to consider their submission. What forum, format and protocol should I use for voting?

I really want to see what the community has to say about this. I will put together a page on my site once all of the details are collected and kinks are worked out. It’s all pretty simple, “Hey, everybody. Who deserves $50 and an award for helping out this year?” Then everyone can vote.

I need the voting to be public, but not anonymous. 1 person, 1 vote. Should I set up a group on Facebook? Should I allow anyone to submit by LiveJournal, Mike McGee Town, and the PoetrySlam.com Forums? I just checked and I am still a member of the forums. Rachel recommended I use the forums. I feel like one place to nominate people, one place to vote makes sense. I don’t want to do it by email, because I want it all to be very public, but I want people to have to be signed in to nominate and to vote. Lay out your structure!

Help!
———
Word to the nerd.
Bunny up.

Originally published at Mike McGee Town. You can comment here or there.

WEBSITE
I am annoyed by the limited WordPress/PHP-based site themes available for my site. Probably makes sense considering I am using free ones. Anyone out there design quality themes?

NEW YORK CITY
Heading into New York City on Tuesday, February 16 for my feature at the Bowery Poetry Club. Not sure how long I’m hanging out, but if you wanna make some hang, holler at a nerd.

NEW ALBUM
In my time off from the road, I intend to record an audio version of my book In Search of Midnight. Curious: Should I make it a read-along with page-turning chimes and silliness, or separate tracks, poem-for-poem recording? Both?

AWESOMENESS BEGINS BELOW

———
Word to the nerd.
Bunny up.

WEBSITE
I am annoyed by the limited WordPress/PHP-based site themes available for my site. Probably makes sense considering I am using free ones. Anyone out there design quality themes?

NEW YORK CITY
Heading into New York City on Tuesday, February 16 for my feature at the Bowery Poetry Club. Not sure how long I’m hanging out, but if you wanna make some hang, holler at a nerd.

NEW ALBUM
In my time off from the road, I intend to record an audio version of my book In Search of Midnight. Curious: Should I make it a read-along with page-turning chimes and silliness, or separate tracks, poem-for-poem recording? Both?

AWESOMENESS BEGINS BELOW

———
Word to the nerd.
Bunny up.

Originally published at Mike McGee Town. You can comment here or there.