The next VLP poetry slam, will be Thursday, September 29th, at 7 p.m. at the Coffee Shop Gallery, 24 W. Main Street, downtown Vermillion. It will feature both USD/VLP alumnus Elliot Harmon and--breaking news here--a special guest slammer, Alex Charalambides. Afterwards, there will be our usual poetry slam, in which anyone can perform their poetry (and, possibly, win prizes).

According to Elliot, Alex Charalambides is a Boston College Graduate who started performing poetry in the fall of 2000. He's the first poet to represent Boston (2002), Providence (5th place 2003) and Worcester (2004) at the Annual National Poetry Slam. He was also a coach for the 2005 Providence National Slam Team.

He took 17th place (out of 60) at the 2004 Individual World Poetry Slam. He's the founder and director of the Speakout! Youth Poetry Collective, mentoring youth poets on teams that competed at the 2004 & 2005 Brave New Voices Festivals.

He's a member of the Cambridge Poetry Award Winning Ensemble Troupe "Doc Brown's Poetry Circus." and has shared the stage w/ the Jim Carroll Band, Sage Francis & National Poetry Slam Champions Shane Koyczan, Regie Gibson & Mike McGee.

For information about Elliot Harmon, see the earlier posting.

Come and hear great poetry performances by Elliot and Alex, and, afterwards, enjoy the poetry slam that is open to all.

What is a poetry slam? It's a competition for poets. For more information about slams, visit http://www.usd.edu/~projlit/vlpslam.cfm. For more information about the Vermillion Literary Project, visit http://www.usd.edu/~projlit or call 605-677-5229.
posted by Michelle Rogge Gannon at 11:31 AM

Poet and USD alumnus Elliot Harmon will be the feature reader at the Vermillion Literary Project Poetry Slam on Thursday, September 29th, at 7 p.m. at the Coffee Shop Gallery, 24 W. Main Street, downtown Vermillion. Slam poets should bring three poems. Prizes will be awarded to the winners. Everyone is welcome.

Elliot Harmon describes himself as "a poet and, more sporadically, an actor, a musician, a playwright, a teacher, a graduate student, and a director." Elliot, a USD English major, won the Vermillion Literary Project's first ever poetry slam in October 2002. Later, he went on to represent Omaha in the 2004 National Poetry Slam. Elliot has had poems published in numerous literary journals and is a finalist for the prestigious 2005 Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowship. Currently, he lives in San Francisco.

“Elliot Harmon is one of the best things to happen to poetry and to the poetry slam in a long time. His dead-on writing, along with a refreshingly conversational delivery, draws you in like a close friend just chatting about his mesmerizingly bizarre ideas on life, love, and the universe.” --Matt Mason, Omaha slam poet

“Elliot truly moved the room and raised the bar.” --Charles Ellik, Berkeley slammaster

What is a poetry slam? It's a competition for poets. For more information about slams, visit http://www.usd.edu/~projlit/vlpslam.cfm. For more information about the Vermillion Literary Project, visit http://www.usd.edu/~projlit or call 605-677-5229.
posted by Michelle Rogge Gannon at 9:40 AM

Cedric Liqueur, a writer, performer, and director who has been involved in various literary and arts activities in the Vermillion area in the past, is here at the University of South Dakota this week for two one-man performances.

Wednesday, September 7th, at 12 noon, in the Coyote Student Center (CSC) on campus, he will perform a variety of works, from Shakespeare to contemporary literature.

Thursday, September 8th, at 7:30 p.m., Liqueur will perform scenes from Romeo and Juliet in Farber Hall (Old Main).

These events are free and open to the public.

posted by Michelle Rogge Gannon at 10:25 AM