$12 in advance / $16 at the door

Doors at 7 / show at 7:30PM 

ABC Death Release Party:

Come join Button Poetry at Icehouse on December 9th to celebrate our first-ever picture book, ABC Death, making its way into the world with creators Shane Hawley and Joel Erkkinen. With sets from Shane Hawley, Khary Jackson, Thadra Sheridan, Ollie Schminkey, and music from Regional Dialect. Hosted by Neil Hilborn. 

Shane Hawley:

Shane Hawley is a writer and performer from Saint Paul, Minnesota. A fixture in the spoken word poetry scene since 2001, and a 2010 National Poetry Slam Champion, he has spent the past decade focused mostly on humor writing and screaming jokes at people. He has performed all over the country and alongside many impressive artists, all of whom he met at summer camp and they’re from Canada, so you wouldn’t know them. He lives in the special corner of your heart that you reserve for extreme extroverts who are always trying a little too hard.

Ollie Schminkey :

Ollie Schminkey is a non-binary transgender poet/musician/artist from St. Paul, MN. They facilitate, direct, coach, and host many organizations, including a weekly writing workshop called Well-Placed Commas, which serves primarily queer and trans writers. In addition to publishing two chapbooks, they have also represented the Twin Cities in numerous national poetry competitions, and their work has been featured on Upworthy, THEM, Drunk in a Midnight Choir, and 20% Theatre Co's The Naked I. You can find them touring nationally, on Button Poetry, or on their website, ollieschminkey.com. They currently coach the Macalester Poetry Slam. 

Thadra Sheridan:

Thadra Sheridan is a poet, essayist, teacher, and performer.  Her work has appeared in Rattle, MoXie Magazine, The Legendary, Blotterature, The Pine Hills Review, Sugared Water, Abyss & Apex, Specter, on Button Poetry, Upworthy, HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, and in several anthologies.  She is a recipient of the Verve Grant for spoken word and a past weekly columnist for Opineseason.com.  She has performed at hundreds of venues across the country, from the Bowery in New York to San Quentin Penitentiary.  Her short film “Waiting” became a viral Youtube sensation last year, uniting servers across the globe.  She likes it honest.  She likes it edgy.  She charges for pity, and she is sick of waiting tables.

Khary Jackson:

Khary Jackson is a writer, dancer, musician and youth worker. Originally from Detroit, he has worked in the Twin Cities since 2004. As a spoken word artist, he has been a finalist in four national poetry competitions, as well as winning the 2009 and 2010 national slam with the St. Paul team. He has written a dozen plays and released his first poetry book (2013). He is a graduate fellow of the Cave Canem writers' program, where he received invaluable knowledge from such writers as Cornelius Eady, Chris Abani, Nikki Finney, and Patricia Smith. He’s currently working on a superhero fiction series. 

Regional Dialect:

Hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Regional Dialect plays soul music with a twist of hip-hop and blues. Mathias Hertel (vox-guitar-beatbox) and Colin Doherty (lead guitar) have been performing and writing music together since 2010. Regional Dialect comes with the message of love and aims to strike a chord in the hearts and minds of their audiences. When you see Regional Dialect perform, you get the feeling you are witnessing something truly special. 

Neil Hilborn:

Neil Hilborn is a College National Poetry Slam champion and a 2011 graduate with honors from Macalester College. In 2013 his poem "OCD" went viral, garnering over 75 million views to date, making it one of the most-viewed poems of all time. He has performed in 39 states and 7 countries, and in 2017 alone he traveled more than 50,000 miles to perform his poetry. Originally from Houston, Texas, he now lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Future is Neil’s second full-length poetry collection.