The Vancouver Poetry House presents feature poets Shanna Alden and Michael Alden.
Shanna Alden is a current co-slammaster and former event coordinator for Rain City Slam, a co-coach of the 2015 Rain City NPS team, Coach of the 2016 NPS team, Coach of the 2015 and 2016 Rain City IWPS representatives, and 2016 Women of the World Poetry Slam storm poet. Shanna has also competed representing Rain City at Battle of the Word at Bumbershoot, and Cascadia Regional Poetry Slam. She was also part of the organizational team for both 2016 Cascadia Regional Poetry Slams. She has featured all over the Pacific Northwest and is currently working on two full length manuscripts. The very first slam she attended was Denver Mercury Slam somewhere around the year 2000. When she’s not doing poetry things, she is a bartender, waitress, and photographer in Seattle.
Michael Alden is a former co-slammaster of Rain City Slam, a member of the 2016 Rain City Slam NPS team, and will be representing Rain City at IWPS in Flagstaff, Arizona. Michael has featured throughout the Pacific Northwest, performed at multiple regional and national competitions, and believes that chaos never died – it provides a pattern of instantaneous grace.
Shanna and Michael met in Seattle, WA a few years ago, and married on October 31st 2015. They came to slam at different times, for different reasons, and are very different poets, as such, this tour, which begins in Portland, OR on October 23, 2016, is the first time they have collaborated.
During the Winter Season (from September–March), the slam format consists of two rounds of 3-minute poems.
Cafe Deux Soleils and the Van Slam strive to be a trans friendly place and a hate speech free zone. Help us with that. We also acknowledge that this event takes place on unceded First Nations Territory.
Also, be kind to our VOLUNTEER door staff. They have to follow BC Liquor Board Rules and once we are sold out we can’t let anyone in unless someone leaves. You cannot save seats for people in line. Let them know if you are leaving. Also no ATM at the door, it’s cash ONLY.
Get there early if you want a seat or want to slam. Before 7pm