Gary Mex Glazner
Encyclopedia
Gary Mex Glazner, born 1957, is a poet and author. He was the Managing Director of the Bowery Poetry Club
in New York City, 2007 to 2010.
In 1990, Glazner working as a florist in San Francisco. As poet and organizer in that city's ever-evolving spoken word community, he was instrumental in organizing the first ever National Poetry Slam
, which featured poets from San Francisco, Chicago and New York City. In the book, Words in Your Face: A Guided Tour Through Twenty Years of the New York City Poetry Slam, author Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz
wrote:
To promote the first National Poetry Slam
, Glazner used such "unpredictable" ideas as hiring a circus barker outside of the venues in which the slams were happening "like at the freak show at Coney Island", selling hot dogs from a vendor during the slam, and the use of a "PoJ Kit," which Glazner described as a mobile DJ unit wherein poets can perform and broadcast their poems onto the street while being driven around in a Glazner's car.
Glazner's relationship continued with the Poetry Slam movement. In 1993, he helped organize the fourth National Poetry Slam
held in San Francisco again. In 2000, he organized the "Slam America" bus tour, which involved "38 live poetry shows in 32 cities over 30 days with more than 100 poets." The poets in tour would perform and tour together in various "legs" as the tour bus as they traveled to the 2000 National Poetry Slam
held in Providence, RI. The tour resulted in the documentary, Busload of Poets..
Glazner also edited the anthology, "Poetry Slam: The Competitive Art of Spoken Word" which was published by Manic D Press
in 2000. The book "documents 10 years of poetry slams, with 100 poems from national slam champions and a dozen essays on how to run a slam, winning strategies, tips for memorizing poems, and more."
In addition to his work in the Poetry Slam community, Glazner has authored three books: 2002's Ears on Fire: Snapshot Essays in a World of Poets (La Alameda Press), 2005's How to Make a Living as a Poet (Soft Skull Press
) and 2006's How to Make a Life as a Poet (Soft Skull Press
).
Glazner is the founder and Executive Director of the "Alzheimer's Poetry Project"
Glazner currently lives in Brooklyn, New York and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Bowery Poetry Club
The Bowery Poetry Club is a New York City poetry performance space founded by Bob Holman in 2002. Located at 308 Bowery, between Bleecker and Houston Streets in Manhattan's East Village, the BPC provides a home base for established and upcoming artists...
in New York City, 2007 to 2010.
In 1990, Glazner working as a florist in San Francisco. As poet and organizer in that city's ever-evolving spoken word community, he was instrumental in organizing the first ever National Poetry Slam
National Poetry Slam
The National Poetry Slam is a performance poetry competition where teams from across the United States, Canada, and France participate in a large-scale poetry slam. The event occurs in early August every year and takes place in a different US city....
, which featured poets from San Francisco, Chicago and New York City. In the book, Words in Your Face: A Guided Tour Through Twenty Years of the New York City Poetry Slam, author Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz
Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz
Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz is an American poet and writer. Recently, she was awarded a 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship for Poetry.-Life:...
wrote:
To promote the first National Poetry Slam
National Poetry Slam
The National Poetry Slam is a performance poetry competition where teams from across the United States, Canada, and France participate in a large-scale poetry slam. The event occurs in early August every year and takes place in a different US city....
, Glazner used such "unpredictable" ideas as hiring a circus barker outside of the venues in which the slams were happening "like at the freak show at Coney Island", selling hot dogs from a vendor during the slam, and the use of a "PoJ Kit," which Glazner described as a mobile DJ unit wherein poets can perform and broadcast their poems onto the street while being driven around in a Glazner's car.
Glazner's relationship continued with the Poetry Slam movement. In 1993, he helped organize the fourth National Poetry Slam
National Poetry Slam
The National Poetry Slam is a performance poetry competition where teams from across the United States, Canada, and France participate in a large-scale poetry slam. The event occurs in early August every year and takes place in a different US city....
held in San Francisco again. In 2000, he organized the "Slam America" bus tour, which involved "38 live poetry shows in 32 cities over 30 days with more than 100 poets." The poets in tour would perform and tour together in various "legs" as the tour bus as they traveled to the 2000 National Poetry Slam
National Poetry Slam
The National Poetry Slam is a performance poetry competition where teams from across the United States, Canada, and France participate in a large-scale poetry slam. The event occurs in early August every year and takes place in a different US city....
held in Providence, RI. The tour resulted in the documentary, Busload of Poets..
Glazner also edited the anthology, "Poetry Slam: The Competitive Art of Spoken Word" which was published by Manic D Press
Manic D Press
Manic D Press is an American literary press based in San Francisco, California publishing fiction , poetry, cultural studies, art, narrative-oriented comix, and alternative travel trade paperbacks...
in 2000. The book "documents 10 years of poetry slams, with 100 poems from national slam champions and a dozen essays on how to run a slam, winning strategies, tips for memorizing poems, and more."
In addition to his work in the Poetry Slam community, Glazner has authored three books: 2002's Ears on Fire: Snapshot Essays in a World of Poets (La Alameda Press), 2005's How to Make a Living as a Poet (Soft Skull Press
Soft Skull Press
Soft Skull Press is an independent publisher founded by Sander Hicks in 1992, and run by Richard Eoin Nash from 2001 to 2009. In 2007, Nash sold Soft Skull to Counterpoint LLC, where it continues to function as a division of the press...
) and 2006's How to Make a Life as a Poet (Soft Skull Press
Soft Skull Press
Soft Skull Press is an independent publisher founded by Sander Hicks in 1992, and run by Richard Eoin Nash from 2001 to 2009. In 2007, Nash sold Soft Skull to Counterpoint LLC, where it continues to function as a division of the press...
).
Glazner is the founder and Executive Director of the "Alzheimer's Poetry Project"
Glazner currently lives in Brooklyn, New York and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Works
- Glazner, Gary. Poetry Slam: The Competitive Art of Performance Poetry, San Francisco; Manic D PressManic D PressManic D Press is an American literary press based in San Francisco, California publishing fiction , poetry, cultural studies, art, narrative-oriented comix, and alternative travel trade paperbacks...
, 2000. - Glazner, Gary. Ears on Fire: Snapshot Essays in a World of Poets, New Mexico; La Alameda Press, 2003.
- Glazner, Gary. Sparking Memories: The Alzheimer's Poetry Project Anthology, Santa Fe, Poem Factory, 2005.
- Glazner, Gary. How to Make a Living as a Poet, New York; SoftSkull Press, 2005
- Glazner, Gary. How to Make a Life as a Poet, New York; SoftSkull Press, 2007.
- Glazner, Gary. Nútreme Hoy (Nurture me Now) The Alzheimer's Poetry Project Spanish Anthology, Santa Fe, Poem Factory, 2010.
Anthologies
- Revival: Spoken Work from Lollapalooza 94, edited by Juliette Torrez et al., San Francisco, Manic D PressManic D PressManic D Press is an American literary press based in San Francisco, California publishing fiction , poetry, cultural studies, art, narrative-oriented comix, and alternative travel trade paperbacks...
, 1995 - Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Poetry, Nikki Moustaki, New York, Alpha (Penguin Group), 2001
- An Eye For An Eye Makes The Whole World Blind: Poets on 9/11 edited by Michael Parenti, Allen Cohen, and Clive Matson, Oakland, Regent Press 2002
- Birth of the Chess Queen: A History, Marilyn Yalom, New York, HarperCollins, 2004
- The Complete Idiot's Guide to Slam Poetry edited by Marc Smith and Joe Kraynak, New York, Alpha (Penguin Group), 2004
- Bowery Bartenders Big Book of Poems edited by Bob Holman, New York; Bowery Books, 2005
- The Spoken Word Revolution Redux edited by Mark Eleveld, Naperville, Sourcebooks MediaFusion, 2007
- The Customer Is Always Wrong: The Retail Chronicles edited by Jeff Martin, New York; Soft Skull Press, 2008
Recordings
External links
- Eternal Sunshine, Harper's Magazine
- eCareDiary interview with Glazner on the Alzheimer's Poetry Project
- L Magazine interview with Glazner on the Alzheimer's Poetry Project
- Santa Fe Radio Cafe interview on the Alzheimer's Poetry Project, archived on November 2nd, 2010
- WORCESTER Telegram article on the Alzheimer's Poetry Project
- Orlando Sentinel article on the Alzheimer's Poetry Project
- Albuquerque Journal
- Alzheimer's Poetry Project
- Radio Special on the Alzheimer's Poetry Project produced by Don McIver
- Audio of "Death by Taxi," "Strangers / Coffee Science," "Lorca," "Mystic Barber of Selcuk," "Dogs and Blues," "Turkey Hunting in Oklahoma" and "Maps and Wings" on Indiefeed Performance Poetry Channel
- Video of Glazner performing, "Maps and Wings," at the International Slam!Revue as part of the Internationales Literaturfestival held in Berlin.
- Salon Wanderlust The mystic-barber of Selcuk
- The Reverse Blurb Chapter Poetry About.com
- Poetry Speaks