Gary Mex Glazner

Gary Mex Glazner, born 1957, is a poet and author. He is currently the Managing Director of the Bowery Poetry Club in New York City.

In 1990, Glazner working as a florist in San Francisco.Aptowicz, Cristin O'Keefe. (2008). "Words in Your Face: A Guided Tour Through Twenty Years of the New York City Poetry Slam." Soft Skull Press. "Chapter Six: Playing Nice; The First National Poetry Slam" Page 45. ISBN 1-933-36882-9.] 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"Aptowicz, Cristin O'Keefe. (2008). "Words in Your Face: A Guided Tour Through Twenty Years of the New York City Poetry Slam." Soft Skull Press. "Chapter Six: Playing Nice; The First National Poetry Slam" Pages 47-48. ISBN 1-933-36882-9.] , 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." [http://www.poetryslam.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=142&category_id=10&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=29&vmcchk=1&Itemid=29 Slam American Bus Tour description from Poetry Slam, Inc website] ] 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." [http://www.poetryslam.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=142&category_id=10&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=29&vmcchk=1&Itemid=29 "Busload of Poets" DVD at the Poetry Slam, Inc website] ] .

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." [http://www.amazon.com/Poetry-Slam-Competitive-Art-Performance/dp/0916397661/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215272901&sr=8-2 "Poetry Slam" Amazon.com page] ]

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 (APP). [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1832793 "NPR's Weekend Edition report on the Alzheimer's Poetry Project] ]

Glazner's group the Precision Poetry Drill Team was featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4615966 "All Things Considered" report on the Precision Poetry Drill Team] ] .

Glazner currently lives in New York City, and is Managing Director of the Bowery Poetry Club, a poetry and performance venue founded in 2002 by poet Bob Holman.

Works

* Glazner, Gary. "Poetry Slam: The Competitive Art of Performance Poetry", San Francisco; Manic D Press, 2000.
* Glazner, Gary. "Ears on Fire: Snapshot Essays in a World of Poets", New Mexico; La Alameda Press, 2003.
* 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.

Anthology

* "Bowery Bartenders Big Book of Poems" New York; Bowery Books, 2005

References

ee also

* List of performance poets
* Poetry slam

External links

* [http://www.wrsli.org/press_room.html#anchor_13237/ Albuquerque Journal]
* [http://www.alzpoetry.com/ Alzheimer's Poetry Project]
* [http://www.salon.com/wlust/feature/1999/03/04feature.html/ Salon Wanderlust The mystic-barber of Selcuk]
* [http://poetry.about.com/library/weekly/aa070803a.htm/ The Reverse Blurb Chapter Poetry About.com]
* [http://www.indiefeedpp.libsyn.com/index.php?search_string=glazner&Submit=Search&search=1 Audio of "Strangers / Coffee Science," "Lorca," "Mystic Barber of Selcuk," "Dogs and Blues," "Turkey Hunting in Oklahoma" and "Maps and Wings" on Indiefeed Performance Poetry Channel]
* [http://www.bordersmedia.com/odp/default.asp Video of "We Are Forget" on Borders Open Door Poetry]