UNCLE SHAPPY at the NEW YORK CITY COMIC-CON!

Join me as I finally get a chance to read Nerd poems at an actual comic book convention! It's a the Javits Center in NYC from April 18-20. Me and my crew are there Friday (April 18) at 5:45pm! It's me, Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz, Jaimie Martin, Ed Garcia and Soce, The Elemental Wizard!

April is great month for poets -- a chance for us to squeeeeeeeeze into opportunities we might otherwise not have fit into! So huzzah that National Poetry Month can open those doors for us!

For example, New Yorkers who love local NPR stations might hear some familiar voices on WNYC next month, as short poems by Bob Holman, Ishle Yi Park, Taylor Mali, Shappy & me will be broadcast throughout April. How neat is that?

Also, as further proof of the awesome power of National Poetry Month, here are some nutty events that I'll be participating in the forthcoming weeks. Please feel free to come out if you are in the respective hoods:

Thurs, April 03, 2008 -- Frequency North Reading Series
Shappy and I are planning to ROCK Albany as a part of this beloved and quirky reading series, curated by NYC ex-pat, WIYF editor and old pal, Daniel Nester. For more information on the Frequency North Series, please check out their website here.

Saturday, April 05, 2008 -- Lower East Side Girls Club Series
I'll be joining fellow NYC performance divas Jeanann Verlee and Jessi Robertson at this beloved (and FREE) reading series, taking place every Saturday at 3:30pm at the Art+Community Gallery [56 East 1st Street (1st/2nd Aves)]. For more information on the Lower East Side Girls Club Performance Series (and its amazing line-ups; Rachel McKibben and Tara Betts are upcoming features!), please check out their website here.


Monday, April 14, 2008 -- Words In Your Face Reading at The (frikking!) STRAND!
By some miracle of God, The Strand bookstore wanted to do a "Words In Your Face" reading! Here's the skinny from the Strand website: "To celebrate National Poetry Month, the Strand has partnered with Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz, the author of Words in Your Face; A Guided Tour Through Twenty Years of The New York City Poetry Slam, who will curate a Poetry Slam-inspired reading at the Strand with NYC poets, including TAYLOR MALI, author of What Learning Leaves and JOHN S. HALL, of King Missile fame. The reading will open with poetry from NYC youth Poetry Slam organization, URBAN WORD." For more information on the reading, please check out the Strand website here or RVSP at the Facebook Events page here.

Monday, April 21, 2008 -- Kelly Writers House
Again, another completely awesome gig, thanks in part to National Poetry Month. The performance is being funded by the yearly Oral Poetry Fund: nice! Here's the skinny from the Kelly Writers House website: "Come and learn about one of the most explosive art movements of the 21st Century: the Poetry Slam. Author/slam poet (and Philly-native) Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz will explore the birth, growing pains and continuing development of this raucous poetry event... In addition to walking the audience through the Poetry Slam's atonishing twenty year history, Cristin will be joined by four New York City slam poets -- Shappy Seasholtz, Edward Garcia, Nicole Homer and Chad Anderson -- who will illustrate the variety of work found in the slam, including comedic pieces, political pieces and electrifying group work." For more information on the reading, please check out the Kelly Writers House website here or RVSP at the Facebook Events page here.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008 --Page Meets Stage: JEFF McDANIEL vs. SAGE FRANCIS
Does this not sound like the sickest show EVER? Jeff McDaniel battling Sage on the Bowery Poetry Club stage? Come on! And I'm hosting because Taylor is out of town. Nice! If you haven't seen the adorable flyer for this event, check out here here. Jeff looks a like teddy bear on it!

Oh, and did I forget to mention that Saturday, April 26th is Dachshund Day at Washington Square Park? The time when 100+ dachshunds -- some in *costume* -- descend upon the city!

Viva National Poetry Month!!! April RULES!

LAST AMERICAN VALENTINE RELEASE PARTY

Show up EARLY on Tuesday cuz we've got a little something new and
exciting! We have a book release party for THE LAST AMERICAN VALENTINE
from Write Bloody Press just in time for VALENTINE'S DAY! We'll be
having a reception (read: FREE FOOD!) and book signing at 6pm with an
amazing show to follow featuring poems / poets from the book, including:

DERRICK BROWN!!
BEAU SIA!!
JEFFREY MCDANIEL!!
AMBER TAMBLYN!!
MINDY NETIFEE!!
ROGER BONAIR-AGARD! !
LYNNE PROCOPE!!
VICTOR INFANTE!!
CRISTIN O'KEEFE APTOWICZ!!
SHAPPY SEASHOLTZ!!

Derrick will kick a few extra poems, and then it'll be time for the
CUTE BOY SLAM! Only cute boys can compete and they MUST have CUTE
POEMS!! Costumes, props and music are encouraged! And more ever MORE
surprises may be introduced by the host, Cute Boy Slam founder AMANDA
NAZARIO! (CUTE!)

NOTE: cuz of the built-in AWESOMENESS, there will be NO OPEN-MIC OR
OPEN-SLAM THIS WEEK! (unless you are ready to rock the CUTE BOY SLAM!)
but who cares when you have a line-up like THIS! ;)

SEE YA THERE!!
Slam Master Shap

Here's the skinny:
6:00 pm-book signing and reception
6:45 pm-all-star poetry reading
7:45 pm-More from Derrick Brown
8:30 pm CUTE BOY SLAM!
9:30 pm-show over

Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008
Last American Valentine & Cute Boy Slam!
$7 cover
Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery

The SHAPTOWICZ 7-YEAR ITCH TOUR IN SUPPORT OF WORDS IN YOUR FACE!

Friday, Feb. 29th, 8:00 PM
Lincoln Lodge

Saturday, March 1, 8:00 PM
Quimby's
1854 W. North Ave., Chicago, IL, 60622


Sunday, March 2, 7:00 PM
Green Mill Jazz Club
Uptown Poetry Slam, 4802 N. Broadway, Chicago


Monday, March 3, 8:00 PM
Funky Buddha Lounge
728 W. Grand Ave, Chicago, IL


Tuesday, March 4, 7:00 PM
College of Lake County
James Lumber Center, 19351 West Washington Street, Grayslake, IL 60030-1198


Wednesday, March 5, 8:30 PM
The Starry Plough
Berkeley Poetry Slam, 3101 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, California


Thursday, March 6, 8:00 PM
Oakland Metro
Tourettes without Regrets, 201 Broadway, Oakland, California


Sunday, March 9, 8:00 PM
12 Galaxies
Second Sundays, 2565 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Shappy & Cristin at AWP's 2008 Annual Conference

Saturday, February 2, 4:30 PM
"Twenty Years of New York City Slam: A Guided Tour Through Gotham's Competitive Poetry Scenes!" Cristin joins Dan Nester, Gary Mez Glazner, Shappy Seasholtz and others in a panel discussion about the Poetry Slam's impact on New York City and the NYC Poetry Slam's impact on Poetry!
Address: Hilton New York, 1335 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY

THIS FRIDAY NOVEMBER 16
9-10:30 PM FREE ADMISSION-2 Drink Min.
BOWERY BROADSIDES WITH SHAPPY AND BOB HOLMAN!

Join me and my boss for a friendly reading on our home turf!
Everyone will receive a free broadside(fancy word for poster)
from me and Bob just for showing up!

Makes a great gift!

Hey all!

I've got an AMAZING show to tell you about coming up NEXT WEEK on Tues Nov 20th, 7pm at the BPC!!

It's the 10th Anniversary of NYC-Urbana and the official book release for Cristin's magmum-freakin-opus o' a history of the NYC Poetry Slam, Words In Your Face coming out this month of Soft Skull Press!!

( Click here to see the full front and back covers for WORDS IN YOUR FACE which were designed by LJ's own Claude Le Monde! )

To celebrate these two TREMENDOUS events, we've got a great slam poets from NYC Poetry Slam's past, present and future coming out to party, including:

Bob Holman! Edwin Torres! Hal Sirowitz! John S. Hall! Taylor Mali! Beau Sia! Evert Eden! Regie Cabico! Guy LeCharles Gonzalez! Lynne Procope! Steve Coleman! Alix Olson! Amanda Nazario! Marty McConnell! Carlos Andres Gomez! Felice Belle! Michael Cirelli! Gary Glazner! Edward Garcia! The complete 2006 and 2007 NYC-Urbana Teams! The complete 2006 and 2007 Nuyorican Teams! And many many more!

We've got the BPC all night long! The show starts at 7pm and the afterparty will run late with LIVE music provided by The New York Howl!

If you are able to drop by, we'd love to see ya!

If not, keep your eyes peeled, as Shaptowicz is hitting the road in 2008 to promote Words In Your Face as well as our own collections o' goofy poems! We can't wait to see all our pals -- either way!

SHAPPY FEATURES AT NEW YORK UNDERGROUND COMEDY FESTIVAL
Monday, October 1 2007
BOWERY POETRY CLUB
308 BOWERY
10:00pm

The O'Debra Twins "Show & Tell" $3 Special New York Underground Comedy Festival show open mic plus: Mike Dobbins - avant garde stand-up, general maniac Sarah Fisch - hilarious author Shappy Seasholtz - mock slam poet Mo's Hoes - sketch team (The O'Debra Twins, Jessica Delfino, Steph Sabelli, & Rosie Rebel) Mike Amato - alt comic genius, winner of the Party Boy video competition Hosted by Tanya O'Debra

The O’Debra Twins are hugely famous. That is why they have headlined at the following cabaret shows, comedy clubs, and other such star studded events: Eating It, Rubulad, No Hitting, Ass Magazine’s Launch Party, The Floating Vaudeville Show, Deep Dish Cabaret, Caroline’s, Piano’s, The Estrogenius Festival, Grindhouse A Go-Go, Gotham Comedy Club, Comic Strip Live, CBGB Gallery, Stand Up NY, Arlene’s Film Festival, NY Comedy Club, and Pete’s Candy Store. You can catch them in Reverend Jen and Nick Zedd’s “Electra Elf and Fluffer” series. You probably also remember The O’Debra Twins from their own smash hits, “SHUTUP!!!”, “The Entire World Thinks We’re Famous”, “Nightmare on Pussy Street”, “The O’Debra Twins Are Hungry; A Thanksgiving Special”, and “The O’Debra Twins Are Ho Ho Hoes”. They also host a wet and wild open mic at The Bowery Poetry Club called “SHOW AND TELL”.

URBANA POETRY SLAM!
EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT
$7 cover
Bowery Poetry Club
308 Bowery
6:30 Sign-up begins
7:01 Show begins
9:30 Show ends

Hope you can make it!

www.myspace.com/urbanapoetryslam

Friend us!!!

THE NYC-URBANA 2007-2008 SCHEDULE!!

Sept 25- IYEOKA
When last this amazing lady poet
graced our stage, the applause was
so loud, it knocked a beer over.
She is not to be missed.
** open mic / open slam **

Oct 2- HAL SIROWITZ
This NYC native has written six
books of poetry, was the first
slammer to be poet laureate of
Queens and is the best selling
poet in Norway. He is also
so funny it makes me angry!
** open mic / open slam **

Oct 9- DOUGLAS A. MARTIN
This Soft Skull author extraordinaire
is a novelist, memoirist, haiku master
and found slammer of the Athens, GA
scene. Here is latest and be blown away.
** open mic / open slam **

Oct 16- BUDDY RAY MCNIECE
Coming in all the way from Singapore,
this old school slammer who wowed
the BPC this summer is back again!
** open mic / semifinals slam **

Oct 23- JARED PAUL
Does this political poet walk like
he talks? The kid is in town to testify
in the RNC trial! Boo-yah! He is
also an annual Urbana fave!
** open mic / open slam **

Oct 30- BLAIR
What does the end of October needs?
How about a little song and poetry
from our favorite Detroit verse-spitter?
** open mic / open slam **

Nov 6- JAMIE DeWOLF
This poet is so notorious, so wildman,
so electrifying that our slavish fandom
almost feels cultish! So are you ready
to drink Jamie's poetic Koolaid?
** open mic / open slam **

Nov 13- JENNIFER L. KNOX
What's funny, widely published
a three-time contributor to the
"Best American Poetry" series
and has a book coming out
called "Drunk by Noon?
Come Nov 13 to find out!
** open mic / open slam **

Nov 20- Urbana's 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
& Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz book release party!

Nov 27- TSHAKA
His bio says that his full name is
Tshaka Menelik Imhotep Campbell, but
that he likes to be known as simply
a "TarMan Celebrating his Natural Kink".
Tell me your aren't curious!!
** open mic / open slam **

Dec 4- GYPSEE YO
Gypsee. Yo. Is. Amazing.
Come on down and see this
NPS/iWPS standout in her NYC
debut. We are so very excited!
** open mic / open slam **

Dec 11- KEALOHA
The Hawaiian Slam Champ is
straight up flying in from
HAWAII to be here. Booyah!
** open mic / semifinals slam **

Dec 18- Win & You're In Regional Slam

<<<< COMING IN 2008!! >>>>

Jan 8- MIKE McGEE & ROBBIE Q
** open mic / open slam **

Jan 15- CARLOS ROBESON
** open mic / open slam **

Jan 22- SHANNON LEIGH
** open mic / open slam **

Jan 29- TBA

Feb 5- THE KLUTE
** open mic / open slam **

Feb 12- Cute Boy Slam!

Feb 19- KATIE WIRSING
** open mic / open slam **

Feb 26- SONYA RENEE
** open mic / semifinals slam **

Mar 4- MINDY NETIFEE
** open mic / open slam **

Mar 11- WILL EVANS & JW BAZ
** open mic / open slam **

Mar 18- Limerick Slam!

Mar 25- JUSTIN CHIN
** open mic / open slam **

Apr 1- PATRICIA SMITH
** open mic / open slam **

Apr 8- KIM ADDONIZIO
** open mic / open slam **

Apr 15- JEREMY RICHARDS
** open mic / last open slam of the season **

Apr 22- JEFFREY McDANIEL
** open mic / semifinals slam **

Apr 29- Mega-Quasi-Semi- Finals!

Hers's what I'm up to at the National Poetry Slam in Austin, TX! For more details check out www.nps2007.com!



Host Jedimaster’s Slam Thursday 11 p.m. – 2 am Ego’s

Host Nerd Slam Friday 12:45 – 2:15 Antone’s

3 poem feature Nerd Legends Showcase Friday 3:30 – 4 Hideout

Host Karaoke Friday 11 p.m. – 2 am Ego’s