Monday, June 17th! BRANDON MELENDEZ from Boston! Plus IRON POET CHAMPIONSHIPS!

POETRY FEATURE: BRANDON MELENDEZ is a Mexican-American poet from California. He is the author of home/land (Write Bloody 2019). He is a National Poetry Slam finalist and two-time Berkeley Grand Slam Champion. He was awarded ‘Best Poem’ at the collegiate national poetry competition (CUPSI). His poems are in or forthcoming in Ninth Letter, Muzzle Magazine, the minnesota review, Sixth Finch, and elsewhere. He currently lives in Boston & is an MFA candidate at Emerson College. (Photo Credit: Marshall Goff Photography)

BONUS RUCKUS: IRON POET CHAMPIONSHIPS! “WONDER vs. LIZZARD” – woah! this promises to be an intense championship defense for long time champ ASHLEY WONDER! Former rucketeer of the year award winner NARK LIZZARD has been grinding for another chance at the trophy and has a whole extra year of non-stop competitive experience under their belt! Three rounds, three poetic concoctions, three judges basing scores on three weird criteria one one diabolical secret ingredient from bar-manager MIYA ST. GERMAINE!

Live visual arts from THAIS V @thaisvtattoos on insta! POWER TRIO returns with Akiba, Nick and Jacob providing the live grooves! Anyone want to volunteer snacktime? Will the weather behave it’s damn self and allow us to return to glory outside? Stay tuned!

Monday! June 10th! MYLES BULLEN returns to rap the rest of your faces off! Plus other stuff!

Featured Artist: MYLES BULLEN (in their own words…)

“Myles is a Language Artist using rap as a conduit for storytelling and psychosomatic discharge” – said someone at a show once.

Oh Hi there! My name is Myles Bullen. I am Native American. I graduated high school. That colorful cardigan wearing sensitive rapper.

That ukulele screaming performance artist who believes in people still. When I’m not on the road, I am writing, teaching, gardening, and co-creating art in Portland, ME.

I’ve Shared stages w/ Ceschi , Milo , Mr. Lif , billy woods , Spose , Astronautalis , MC Lars , Prof , Handmade Moments , Lady Lamb , Sarah Violette , Brzowski , Bri Lane , Paranoid Social Club , SB The Moor , Shane Reis , Bensbeendead. , Alunarlanding , Shang-High , Maya Songbird and Kenya Hall to name a few of my favs…

I’ve performed in a wide range of eclectic environments including: your local dive bar, educational spaces, all age community venues, juvenile prisons, rehabilitation centers, music festivals, and various living rooms. I have dedicated the past few years to performing my manifesto of rhythmic poems and melodic archives, traveling extensively, to get vulnerable in front of living people.

The Album is here- Not Dead Yet – travel with me #MylesEatsTheMap

BONUS RUCKUS: I don’t know, we’ll think of something… or other… challenge! No spoiler alerts here!

THE POWER TRIO (Akiba, Nick and Jacob) are back and power jamming into a potential summer residency! Snack from JOY POND! Visual artist will be none other than AMBER ROSE TORTORELLI who’s gearing up for a special music / theater / fairy tale / art exhibit extravaganza the following Sautday JUNE 15th at STARLITE GALLERY in SOUTHBRIDGE (come to this event, Alex is Narrating the Little Mermaid to live action actors, whaaaa?”

Monday June 3rd! Poet JULISSA EMILE from Boston! PLUS! Return of the Saltine Haiku Challenge!

FEATURED POET: JULISSA EMILE is a twenty-one year old transplant from the United States Virgin Islands. Their writing focuses on the intersections of blackness, queerness and “if that were a garden, what would grow from it”. They have been featured in Teen Vogue, the Huffington Post, and Buzzfeed and have plans to release a chapbook in the spring of 2020.

BONUS RUCKUS: The SALTINE CRACKER HAIKU SPIT Challenge: We’re going wayyyy back in the archive for this one! Contestants will receive a random number generated selection of saltines! Contestants will then place & chew saltine crackers until there is no more spit left in their mouths. Then they will spit 17 syllables while the crumb dust literally flies into the air! This challenge is wicked dumb and we’re sorry, not sorry. Whoever spits most audibly will receive a drink on us to wash down the crumbs and glory!

NICK STEVENS on bass, JACOB SHEEVAI on guitar and AKIBA DAVIS on drums return this week for power trio house band outstandingness! Former Worcester Arts Council fellowship grant recipient DON HARTMAN returns to paint live! There will be snacks, open mic, the best in burgers and drinks and hopefully some more beautiful weather to enjoy outside on the patio!

Monday May 27th! Award Winning CLIFF NOTEZ from Boston! Plus! Iron Poet Qualifier!

FEATURED ARTIST: Boston, Massachusetts native, CLIFF NOTEZ is a musician, filmmaker, photographer, writer, and producer who has worked with Harvard University, MIT, Blavity, Allston Pudding, HubWeek, The Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Boston University, RAW Art Works, and The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston. He is the founder and co-owner of the media collective and production company HipStory in Boston and currently a professor at Berklee College of Music helping to design the first Hip-Hop BA program. In 2018, Cliff Notez won a Boston Music Award for “Best New Artist.” Cliff received his M.A. in Digital Media in 2016 from Northeastern University and his B.A. in Music & Psychology from Wheaton College. Cliff created his first band, The ValidDictorians in 2011, with which he self-produced and recorded 5 records to date, allowing him to tour the east coast and establish himself as a notable Boston emcee and musician. In 2017, he debuted his first narrative short film, Vitiligo which was accepted to 12 film festivals, a finalist, and winner of best short, including the March on Washington Film Festival, where he was honored alongside Ta-Nehisi Coates. Most recently, he released his first solo album, ‘When the Sidewalk Ends’ [available on Spotify & Apple Music] which explores themes of racism, oppression, black mental health, and identity.

BONUS RUCKUS: Iron Poet Qualifier – we’re gonna need two competitors to compete for a chance to dethrone the champ next month! Reach out to us if interested, or come to the show prepared to create three poetic concoctions in our long running game! ZEN CROSBY @radcouch will be our guest visual artist! More snacks, more live house band, open mic and (hopefully) outdoor patio fun on this holiday Monday!

Monday May 20th! ZENAIDA PETERSON returns to DG! Plus! State Your Bizness Writing Challenge!

FEATURED POET: ZENAUDA PETERSON is a fire starter, a green witch and a queer of color who likes the wind chimes outside her window and baking gluten free things for her 6 housemates. Zenaida has competed in 4 collegiate and national poetry competitions placing in the top ten each time. Most recently Zenaida competed with Haley House Poetry Slam Team that took 3rd place at the National Poetry Slam. Co-founder and lead organizer for the first slam tournament for feminine people. (FEMS). She believes they are silenced to often. She also believes everything she hears so you shouldn’t lie to her. Zenaida unwrites the lies she’s been given. Zenaida also unwrites violence, misogyny, racism and her ancestors curses.

BONUS RUCKUS: THE STATE YOUR BUSINESS! Business Card Writing Challenge! We pick up business cards sometimes that have all this blank writing space on the back! Contestants will get a random ass business card at the beginning of the show. After the first half, whoever has the best new poem using the card as a prompt and writing surface will get a frothy free prize! Now that’s the business!

Super thanks to ADRIANA BUDUSKI for hosting second half of mic last week! Thanks to EDDIE LOVE for jumping last second to join Luke and Nick in the band! Visual arts this week by EMY PEACHY! House band will try again for the power trio of LUKE, NICHOLAS & JACOB (band name forthcoming!) Weather reports say possible thunderstorms, HOWEVER, may be warm enough and the clouds might behave to allow for our first outdoor show of 2019! Would appreciate help earlier in the evening, setting up the patio area, if we go outside, stay tuned on facebook!

Monday May 13th! JUSTICE AMEER from Providence! Plus Springtime “Hai-Clue” Guess Challenge in the air!

FEATURED POET: JUSTICE AMEER is a poet and performer based in Providence, Rhode Island whose work explores the experience of being a Black trans woman in a post-racial and potentially post-apocalyptic America. Xe has competed and featured at various poetry venues across the nation. Xe is a Pink Door fellow, FEM Slam Champion, and two-time Providence Grand Slam Champion. Xyr work has been published in Glass Poetry Press, POETRY magazine, and The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 2: Black Girl Magic anthology.

BONUS RUCKUS: “Springtime is in the Air, HAI-CLUE” Guess Challenge! Warmer weather and allergens are in the air people! We’ll deliver some 17 syllable clues that have to do with the change in seasons! Your job? Take an educated listening stab at telling us just what the heck we’re talking about! First to guess three correct, gets a frosty drink on us!

Guest visual arts this week from GAB ROSEMARY @gabrielle.rosemary. House band will be a bit of a shake-up as we’re playing around with combos! We’ll have more snacks, more open mic, more of all you’ve come to enjoy and expect and respect and sing for!

Monday May 6th! MECCA MORPHOSIS from Baltimore! Plus Iron Poet Championships!

POETRY FEATURE: MECCA MORPHOSIS has been performing poetry nationally since she graduated high school in 2015. She now teaches poetry poetry workshops at her alma mater through non profit Dewmore Baltimore. Mecca is a 3 time poetry slam champion (Brave New Voices 2016, Southern Fried 2017/2018 and ranked in the top ten at the Women of the World Poetry Slam Festival in 2018. She is the former youth poet ambassador of Baltimore and continues to do the work of providing free creative space for youth artists in her city.

BONUS RUCKUS: IRON POET CHAMPIONSHIPS “WONDER vs. BUDUSKI” – this is going to be a great matchup. ASHLEY WONDER has been one of our longest standing champions and faces a formidable challenge this month, as Dirty Gerund sponsored FEMS SLAM team member ADRIANNA BUDUSKI is primed to deliver the ruckus. Three rounds, three judges, three criteria for scores and ONE diabolical ingredient selected by Monday Bar Manager MIYA! Who will walk away with the crown?

GREEN JEANS is back at house band! CREEPY DOLL LADY (@thecreepydolllady) will be handling the live visual arts! Anyone want to volunteer a snack this Monday, hit us up! More open mic, more beverages, more great times to be had to kickstart your art week!

Monday April 29th! Local friend JOY POND book release feature! Plus “Emily Dickinson on Helium” Challenge!

POETRY FEATURE: JOY POND is a Worcester County based poet/painter/singer and aspiring banjo player. She’s been writing and singing for many years, but recently let heartache fuel her art in a way of healing, rather than self destruction. She is dedicated to her use of words, and connecting with people through poetry. Letting those with emotional pain know that they are not alone. Joy will be celebrating the release of her debut chap-book “And so it goes”! We don’t always book local readers, but when someone has been working as hard and as joyously (pun intended) on their craft and is amped to get that work out into the world, we’re more than happy to help celebrate that!

BONUS RUCKUS: THE EMILY DICKINSON ON HELIUM CHALLENGE – our annual foray into the silly ponderings of what some of the most famous poets may have sounded like? We aren’t blessed with audio recordings of Emily’s work, so we thought we’d bring some poems and some inflated balloons and wonder what the alternative universe of sounds might like sound like. Best high pitched performance gets a drink on us!

AKIBA DAVIS & AARON LEDGER will be offering the sweet house band sounds! KING OF THE WEIRD is providing the live arts. We’ll have snacks and open mic and beverages and lots of fun! Can we have Gerund outside yet? Follow us on the instagram and youtube channels. Monday’s are where it’s at!

Monday April 22nd! KORALY DIMITRIADIS from Australia! Plus “Prompt & Circumstance” Challenge!

POETRY FEATURE: KORALY DIMITRIADIS is a Cypriot-Australian writer and actor. She is the author of the Australian poetry bestseller Love and Fuck Poems and the recent Just Give Me The Pills, and together they form the basis for her theatre show “Saying The Wrong Things”. Koraly has also made a short film series of her poems called “The Good Greek Girl Film Project”. She is a freelance opinion writer and has also been published in The Washington Post. www.koralydimitriadis.com  (photo credit: Kaliopi Malamas Smaller)

Bonus Ruckus: The Return of the “PROMPT & CIRCUMSTANCE” Writing & Presentation Challenge! One of our favorite games is back as we bring in several random random RANDOM objects. Your task? Receive one at random. The object will then serve as both your writing prompt AND your writing surface. Best new poem born that night gets a frosty prize on us!

KING OF THE WEIRD may have a DG ZINE out soon! Make sure you follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our youtube channel! Word has it we have a snack time contributor for next week so look out! Is it summer yet? When can we play outside?

Monday April 15! SAPLING rocks the Dirty Gerund! Plus! Cover Poem Challenge!

FEATURED ARTIST(S) – Central Mass based rock outfit SAPLING (photo credit @colemanrphotos) is pulling DOUBLE duty this Monday, as both our featured guests AND house band for the evening. These experimental post-punk, indie, art, rocksters are currently embarking on their first studio recordings sessions this summer and we’re raising some funds and ruckus to help get these songs on vinyl! Super friends of the Dirty Gerund RAINY MAPLE SUGAR CANDY, AMBER TORTERELLI AND JOHNNY SPAGHETTI CORDARO all play multiple instruments, have been playing stages throughout Massachusetts since 2016, and are taking names (on a mailing list of some sort we assume?). Bands they dig include Mclusky, Sebadoh, Mission of Burma, Shellac, Jesus Lizard, Minibeast, & Future of the Left. They’re about to be your favorite band, so check out some live tracks at https://saplingband.bandcamp.com/releases and get hip!

BONUS RUCKUS: COVER POEM CHALLENGE – bring your favorite work by another author, sign up (we’ll take up to 6 performers) and deliver their lines like you wrote em! Best performance wins a drink on us (and maybe a selection from our library for you to use at the next cover challenge)!

Visual arts by @stikipictures! People, JOY POND needs a break, so we’re in an OFFICIAL RICE CAKE ALERT – someone write us on our facebook page to volunteer a snack this Monday, or else, you get the dreaded rice cake! Will this Monday finally bring us outside for our first patio show? Go sports team, I mean, go art outside team!