VIP – Vancouver International Poetry Festival

In Vancouver, BC Tune in every Wednesday 6 – 7 PM to CFRO – 100.5 FM

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Jessica Mason-Paull is the incumbent Slammaster for the Vancouver Poetry Slam, who will begin her term after the VIP Festival. She has been an active participant and organizer for Van Slam for years, often housing traveling poets at East Van’s venerable Foxy House. She has designed costumes professionally, run non-profit organizations and founded a federal political party/ dance night called the Work Less Party.

Erich Haygun is a newcomer to the Van Slam Family and has fallen in love with the people and places of the Vancouver arts community. He worked hard to earn a spot on the 2012 Vancouver Poetry Slam Team this week as part of kick-off night for the VIP Festival, and has toured and lived all over North America as a freelance live sound engineer, writing performer and musician. His poem Get Closer is featured on the recently released 12” vinyl compilation “Are You in Paradise?” put out by The Whitehaus Family Record, a record label, house venue and hippie commune in his hometown, Boston MA.

Steve Miller has been writing, performing or just making up stories since before he can remember.  At 5 years old he was awarded best story teller from a local boy scouts troop visiting his parents trail ride operation in Alberta.  He grew up half cowboy, half church, and half awrnry. Music and theatre soon became his gospel, and performing was his life but always found himself singing words that weren’t his own.  The two came together in the form of spoken word in May 2008.  Taking 3rd place at his first slam in Calgary he fell in love.  In the summer of 2008 he moved to Vancouver to immerse himself into the scene there. In his first year he won 4 slams and the 2009 semi-finals, taking fifth place at finals.  As the 2009 VanSlam alternate he was able to attend and perform at NPS in West Palm Beach, Florida, CFSW in Victoria, and IWPS in Berkeley, California.  He won the 2009 Vancouver Story Slam Semi-Finals and took 4th in the finals.  In 2010 he self published his first book, Naked Poetry.  He was a member of the 2010 CFSW wild card team making it to semi finals.  In 2011 he performed @ the Calgary International festival of Spoken Word, and a participant in the 2011 Banff Spoken word program, directed by Sheri-D Wilson, working with Brian Brett, Kaie Kellough, Anne Waldman and, under Regie Cabico.