HOUSEMATE
I brought in a roommate to my house back in April. It made sense: I have two bedrooms, rent is cheap, and even cheaper with a second person added to the mix. I had my “hermit time” this winter. I got to live alone for four months. I liked it, but since I travel so much, it finally made sense to keep the place in use whenever I was on the road. It is in good use now. Her name is Melinda and she is one helluva new poet as well. She’s my homie and her being vegan is helping me eat less crap. Sort of. I would have a very hard time practicing veganism, but I can appreciate the values of it. I have always felt pescetarian in my own right, prefering seafood to red meat any day. I made vegan shepherd’s pie the other night and it ruled our faces.

KITCHEN SESSIONS
Being a lover of intimate poetry readings, I have wanted to hold something awesome in my house. I have always felt that some of the best audiences are small, familiar crowds–ones that get to sit very close, where no microphone is needed. I have performed spontaneously in hundreds of homes and apartments, but I have always wanted to host a regular night in my residence. When I brought this up to Melinda (who I am prone to call Minja), she was excited and all for it. When I head out on tour, she may run them.

Kitchen Sessions may become a monthly event. The format can be played with, but the crux of it will be focused on the invited, and likely, traveling feature. Someone not from Worcester. Since March, I have wanted Simone Beaubien to take on the first Kitchen Session. She is not only the super-organized slammaster for the Boston Cantab, but probably one of its best, and most under-appreciated poets. She really is a well-respected sweet nugget.

Since there are so many weekly events in Worcester, I couldn’t decide what night to hold KS regularly. Melinda hoped I would hold it on her nights off, Fridays or Sundays. Friday is always a weird day to hold poetry events, and Sundays are Poets’ Asylum, Worcester’s original open mic and slam. I asked Simone, and she was available on July 26. During our conversation, we realized that Poets’ Asylum usually ends around 9:00pm, giving ample time to hold another event right after. With PA’s venue being a “family cafe” there are limits on language, holding a KS right after PA will allow people to get their fill of fuck.

The first Kitchen Session will be hosted by Melinda and I at our house on Sunday, July 26, 2009 from approximately 9:30pm to 11:00pm.

We will invite three to four local poets to open the night with two new poems each (mandatorially new work!), then pass the kitchen over to Simone for the remaining time. This should give the featured poet up to an hour to bring out obscure works and really talk to the room.

I will make every attempt to webcast it on BlogTV or some equivalent streaming site. DJ Muse has offered to attempt a recording of the audio as well. This will take some work, but I am graciously accepting that offer.

There is no reason people cannot hold their own poetry house event. This is probably happening around the world, I just want to bring my kitchen to as many people as possible.

Considering the amount of venues that do AND could hold poetry events, versus the amount of HOMES that do AND could host poetry events, I believe homes win that battle. Imagine the beautiful intimacy of a poet spilling their guts, mingling with friends, then sleeping on the couch in the next room (if needed.)

If I ask everyone to bring a snack to share, a beverage to share, and $3 to $5 for the feature, then everyone’s full and the feature makes some cash.

My place ain’t huge, which is why I want to do this event. People will be free to move about the kitchen, and they should be able to hear the poet from the front porch to the livingroom without a microphone.

I won’t always be around to host these, which is why they’ll be monthly events at most, and probably never landing on the same day each month, but it feels good to have an event locked down and to debut it with such a strong feature. The scheduling will be a bit irregular, but when have I had a regular schedule since 2003?

Since my homie David Perez, one of my best friends (Team San Jo, what!?!), is dropping in for a visit after NPS in August, as is Lara Bozabailian from Toronto, I think Melinda and I have August locked up for Kitchen Session features. David and Lara don’t know this yet. I should tell them. Same with hosting Jack McCarthy in the fall. Oh, Jack, I love you so much…

With so many poets in my neighborhood, the local pool is so fantastic. There should be some wonderful things going on in my kitchen each month.

If you are sure to attend on July 26, please RSVP ASAP ROFLMAO CBS ABC JK TCB:
ILIKEMIKE at Google’s mail service, or send me a private Facebook message. Or talk to me tonight at Poets’ Asylum.
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Word to the nerd.

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

And a happy June to everyone!

Summer approaches and so does our 24-Hour Summer Slumberfest 2009, the
second annual event I started with David Perez. It was born out of my half-assed December 2007 attempt to read poetry for 24 hours straight. I made it about 18-hours with a huge nap in the middle. Luckily, it lead us to a new idea.

Ten months later, David and I decided to replicate the event, but knew we had to open the mic to anyone that wanted to perform.

24-Hour Summer Slumberfest 2008 was a hit last September. MACLA, also the home of the San Jose Poetry Slam, was the perfect venue for such an endeavor. We had nearly 200 people stop by, and had a parliament of 30+ people most of the time. To take a nap at 3:30am, and to wake up an hour later to see that the crowd laying around you has grown is a sight to behold. It was indescribable fun to have such confirmation for the Slumberfest.

San Jose’s just the right setting for an event of this kind. The people want it–nay–need it and MACLA’s more than happy to pursue just about anything to promote art in all of its forms. It has been a purveyor of art for sometime now, and is the true home of spoken word in Silicon Valley. There is none higher.

Last year David mentioned his interest in bringing more international performers to the Slumberfest, and being a low-cost event, we certainly could not fly people out to attend. It’s quite literally a slumber party with a stage, a few mics, a pile of blankets, sleeping bags, pillows, food (all sorts!) and a couch or two.

But dammit! We live in Silicon Valley! We’re poets and artists who are also tech nerds. There must be something we can do to bring the world to MACLA.

SOLUTION: Skype + projector + wall + camera = INTERNATIONAL SLUMBERFEST!

If you think, “Man, this sounds like fun, but I can’t fly to San Jose, California (although you really should), but I do have a Skype account and I do have a webcam and I do have internet access and I do have poetry or music that is or isn’t mine and I do like the idea of reading it aloud…” Then you’re all set to be a part of the show! Join us from your very own country, province, state, cafe, school, bar
kitchen or bedroom.

We are signing people up for Skyping or those interested in just showing up to perform. Anyone outside of the United States will get priority with time slots. If you’re interested, look up the event listing on Facebook http://tinyurl.com/kpuwej, or comment here with the the general time slot you’re interested in.

Slumberfest 2009 runs from June 5 to June 6 - 6pm Friday to 6pm Saturday.

Slots may be less than 15 minutes, but not more than 15 minutes, depending on demand. The later the better. It will be easier to get a slot at 6am then at 11pm. Pay close attention to the difference in time between your time zone and Pacific Time.
http://www.timeanddate.com/

Examples:

David and I will be working everything out for the rest of this week, and you will get a response with your time slot and explicit Skype instructions by Thursday, June 4 or the morning of June 5.

There will be lots of laying about, aside from David and I hosting and filling in empty slots on the mic. It is recommended that if you bring food or beverage, please bring enough to share.

NO BOOZE OR DRUGS. This is a clean event. We’d love for you to get high on life instead.

24-Hour Summer Slumberfest 2009

MACLA

510 South First Street, Between William and Reed in Dowtown San Jose

Free street parking after 6pm.
Meters in the daytime.

Suggested donation: 5 to 7 bucks.

Original time slotted was 7pm to 7pm, but scheduling forced us an hour ahead. It is 6pm to 6pm.

Various prizes and games for those who volunteer and stay the whole 24-hours.

Get plenty of rest beforehand and be sure to bring plenty of water if you intend to stay up.

We will attempt to webcast the event throughout, but due to issues in the past, we can make no promises. Check back to this blog throughout
the week for more info.
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Word to the nerd.

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

A lot of numbered lists of random things about my friends are being posted around Facebook and LiveJournal. It’s a fun meme. Geoff Trenchard posted a fantastic list in the persona of Aesop Rock, which was inspired by this “William Shakespeare” list.

Geoff, once again!, inspired my list below, written in the voice of Barney Rubble.

My own personal list from December can be found here: 33 Things About Me

25 Things You May Not Know About Barney Rubble
© 2009 Mike McGee

1. While it doesn’t bother most of my friends or family, I don’t like calloused feet. Because of this, I prefer catching the bus to work or carpooling with Fred.

2. I took Wilma to our Junior Prom. I kissed her good night on my tippy toes. She leaned down for me. It was real nice.

3. I love gardening and planting vegetables. Nobody does it around here. They say it ain’t natural. They say I’m crazy to spend all that time in the dirt. I think people might get used to it.

4. I hate my job. It pays good, but them rocks is heavy and I’m too short for most things.

5. Fred saved my life twice. I’m pretty clumsy, but lucky that Fred’s always around to get my head out of tight situations. He has been my friend since F.D. Rockevelt Elementary School. We started out not liking each other though. I am glad that changed.

6. Betty’s older than me. Not a lot, but she’s taught me a lot of things about life and ladies. She’s a real good lady. Sweet as punch and super smart.

7. I would never name a kid after a sound. Bam Bam named himself. We had to let him cos he made such a loud fuss. I wanted to call him Matthew.

8. I feel really calm when I am sewing. Patching up holes in my skins, fixing up curtains and such. It makes me quiet. I like the quiet.

9. I also make these things out of soft hides that are like shirts for your legs. I’ve made two sets that I wear around the house to keep stuff warm from the waist down. I think people would laugh at me if I wore them outside the house though.

10. I don’t really like Fruity Pebbles all that much, I just like messin’ with Fred.

11. I ain’t never gone fishing or hunting. I don’t think I could do it.

12. Fred’s dog Dino was the son of my dog, Dina. He was the only one who lived outta the whole litter. Dina was the greatest dog ever. I miss her a whole lot. She was surely my best friend until Betty came around. I have never told this to Fred.

13. I really, really like how vegetables taste. Never really cared much for sabertooth steak. Betty says I’m like a bird. I guess I am weird for eating all these plants when there’s so much meat around.

14. People say nowadays that kids got no respect. That they don’t know what the world was like before we had fire. I remember, and it was real bad. I’m really glad they don’t gotta know what it was like. They were some dark times.

15. I always wanted to try stand-up comedy. I like it when people are happy. Laughing is so great. I love to laugh.

16. I don’t like getting into sticky situations with Fred. I think it hurts Wilma and Pebbles the most. Fred didn’t use to be like that.

17. My favorite color is brown. If I could paint, I would use a lot of it.

18. Betty don’t want no more kids. I want a daughter. Bam Bam would be so protective of his little sister. I would name her Fiona.

19. I am fascinated with volcanoes.

20. I once started a business selling flowers. We went outta business in the first year.

21. I am a really good pool player. I like angles and figuring out how to hit the rocks into the holes.

22. I think we use animals too much for everyday things. We seem to be getting real lazy.

23. I like pie. Any kind of pie. I’ll even eat a meat pie. But I’m not very good at making them.

24. I have a diary I scratch into every once in while. Had it ever since high school. First  time I put something down on rock was the day I met Betty. She hasn’t aged a day since. In my whole life, she’s the only thing I fought for and won.

25. I had a girlfriend in high school who used to get roughed up by her dad. She would stay at my house after school and eat dinner with my family. She never wanted to go home. We all really liked her, but they moved around a lot so we lost touch for a while. She’s the one who really got me into a different kind of thinking. She taught me about gardening. When her dad passed away, she married a rich guy and they moved around a lot, but this time, it was really nice, big houses. I met him once. Good guy. He thanked me for keeping her happy. They always send us gift baskets from across the world. I miss her laugh. She was fun. It’s been ten years since she visited. I hope she’s okay.

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

I am making my mailing list a lot more functional as in actually using it more. It’s actually a Google Group.

If you have a Gmail address, then all you have to do is log in, then visit: http://groups.google.com/group/Mighty-Mike-McGees-Group and join up.

If you do not have a Gmail address, then you will not be able to join that way. All you have to do is add your email address to the Google Groups box at my site. It’s on the right side of the page. If you do sign up, you will be added to the mailing list, of which I will be sending out roughly one message a week containing neatness and updates. Sweet shit and the likes thereof.

My goal is also to send out password protected links to tracks and poems that will only be available to the group.

I think it could be a neat addition to Mike McGee Town.

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Word to the nerd.

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

Can you be in Silicon Valley on Monday night? Do you want to make some hang?

You should come to my
33rd Birthday Bon Voyage ExSlamaGanza Party
Monday, January 12, 2009 7:00pm until 11:00pm
MACLA, 510 S. First Street, Downtown San José, CA 95113
(We may move it to another spot later.)

On January 12, 2009, I will turn 33 years old. This number has always been special to me. This is also around the 10 year mark of my affiliation with the San José Poetry Slam.

For the first time ever, my birthday and the slam night coincide. While I have moved to Massachusetts, I am coming home from Worcester to be in San José for this particular night.

I want everyone I love and like to be there, and that’s a handy portion of Silicon Valley and the Bay Area. This is your chance to be a part of a great poetry slam, ring in my new year, and to wish me a fond farewell, as I will take up my first residence in 4 years, now on the East Coast.

I will supply pizza and some drinks. Feel free to bring a dish or party things. If you really want to get me a gift, make it very small, as I will have to pack it in with my luggage. I do like coffee, posters, orange things, and neat, small home items. You are a gift to me, so your presence will be presents enough.

Please do not bring alcohol of any sort. If there is to be any, the slam or I will provide it, possibly for purchase.

If you really want to help, then make a donation to the San José Poetry Slam, and/or bring snacks and food for others to eat. The slam normally charges $6.00 to get in, so I still want them to make some money.

Let’s have a real celebration! True merriment and entertainment.

What we could use are various food dishes. Easy to eat and share, and non-alcoholic beverages.

The San José Poetry Slam is held every 2nd and 4th Monday each month at MACLA’s theater.

The doors open at 7:00pm, and the slam starts at 8:30pm. Feel free to sign up and roast me if you want! I would adore that.

I will be hosting and performing at some point.

510 S. First Street, between William and Reed, in Downtown San José. Free parking after 6:00pm.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=MACLA%2C+510+S.+First+Street&hl=en

This day means so much to me, as does finally moving into my own space, albeit very far away from Silicon Valley. This could be a good reason to come visit, and an even better reason to join my email list, or stay in touch via the internet.

I am in a good place, and seeing you there would make this all so much better. This may be my last slam in San José for some time, so please try to make it out.
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Thirty-third to the nerd.

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

If you’re handy with a pen, pencil or keyboard/mouse, and you got free time, I would love it if you’d try to capture my Hug 10™ in detail so people can see what I am writing about. Click on the link and read up on it. If you feel I’ve left out a detail, let me know.

Drawings, photos, et cetera, but no video, please. Make it sweetastic and funny.

Send GIFs or JPGs to ilikemike a la g-m-a-i-l in a zipped/archived folder. No more than 5 images at 150 dpi should be needed for this. I will use multiple submissions.

I will select the best representation(s) of the Hug 10™, then mail you sweet nuggets while crediting you with the images.

If you know of the Hug 10™ feel free to comment on it at my website.

EDIT 14:05 – This just in from Karen G…

Hug 10™ Sketch from Karen G

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Word to the nerd.

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

I came up with an idea, not sure if I did it independently, but I don’t know of any posting or discussion on it prior to this weekend.

I was hanging out in Chicago with many poetry friends and family and it occurred to me while hanging out with Joel Chmara, Robbie Q and Alvin Lau that I’ve always wanted to perform duets with them. I’ve actually considered preparing duets with many performance poets all over the spoken world.

So the idea is this: Any one writes any number of duets. Make them available online as scripts, with the parts designated for anyone; could be random or specific people in mind. Your part vs. anyone’s part. Any one could memorize the alternate part, then when the primary author gets to town, or the alternate performer is in the same locale as the primary author, they can do the poem anywhere.

The Sweet Nugget

© 2008 Mike McGee

MIKE: I like nuggets.

VOICE 2: I like sweetness.

MIKE: We could join them up to make…

BOTH: SWEET NUGGETS!

I like this idea a lot. Imagine a duet with Roger Bonair-Agard and Paulie Lipman. An ode to awesome things with Ken Arkind and Tony Brown. Patricia Smith and Rob “Ratpack Slim” Sturma rockin’ to childhood. The potential for collaborations are endless. Andrea Gibson and I remarking on love and ladies.

I’m sure somone has done this, but I’m thinking of collecting collaborative duets and posting them on my site.

I think I may post a not-oft-used duet I wrote with Shane Koyczan. That could be fun to do with almost anybody.

I think it could be such a nice addition to a poetry feature if I had a duet or two to do with a poet I have very little access to.

Thoughts?

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Word to the nerd.

2008: Doing it!

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

So I’ve been trying to work out the logistics for a “Living Room Tour.” The idea is that I, or T.O.F.U., or a very small group of poet-friends, would actually book dozens of living rooms across North America. No actual venues at all.

I love the idea, but I’m not sure how feasible it is. I’d want it to be pretty extensive. If you have a living room and wouldn’t mind dozens of people cramming it up to listen to me yap, I’d love to discuss it with you.

I think it could be a swell little thing to work out. Maybe in 2009 or 2010. It’s about bringing performance a little closer.

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Word to the nerd.

Originally published at Posted on MikeMcGee.net. You can comment here or there.