RACHEL MCKIBBENS AND MINDY NETTIFEE JOIN FORCES FOR THE LAST NERVE — A HIGH TEA POETRY BRAWL
Two lady veterans of the performance poetry renaissance request your presence at a unique event that has been called "a literary bitch slap with white gloves" and "an empowering call to wisdom and feistiness." Rachel McKibbons (2009 Women of the World poetry slam champion) and Mindy Nettifee (Director of Write Now Poets) are joining together to tour the country and strike a punch in the heart of anyone who thinks Poetry is nap-city and Feminism is asleep at the wheel. A reinvention of a traditional high tea – the original sip and bitch – The Last Nerve will inspire, shoulder-shake and uplift, and ultimately remind us all what we’ve been fighting for.
Send booking inquires to booking "at" thecultofmindy.com
ABOUT THE SHOW AND POET BIOS (PDF)
EDITABLE POSTER FOR PROMOTIONS (Adobe Illustrator PDF)
READ WHAT UNIVERSITIES AND VENUES ARE SAYING ABOUT THE LAST NERVE
New York University (NYU)
“Rachel and Mindy are typhoons of wonder, laughter, and healing. No one stepped out of that auditorium without getting soaked in their poetry. But it’s a good kind of wet, like its mid-August and everything's sticky and your friends just threw you into a stranger's pool with cell phone in your pocket and you wanted to be mad but you can't because it just feels so good.” — Eric Silver, President of Slam NYU
Hamline University
“The names are familiar, but the show isn't. Rachel McKibbens and Mindy Nettifee, two beloved veterans of words spoken and written, are careening across the country on The Last Nerve tour, and you'd be remiss to not hear what they've got to say. Armed with teacups, handkerchiefs, and thundering feminisms, these ladies came into our space and proved that they weren't going to be shy, and they sure as hell weren't going to be quiet. Still -- and this, to me, was essential -- there was a tenderness to their energy that I've only seen McKibbens and Nettifee able to nail the way they did; they made us laugh and balk, but just as earnestly made us really think about them, about ourselves, and about what it means to be a performer. They were perfect for our college environment, surrounded by men and women dealing with our own feminisms and ideas of what female artists should be. Months later, we're still talking about it.” — Lewis Mundt, Hamline University Poetry Slam Coordinator
Notre Dame
“The Last Nerve was a great addition to the Notre Dame Literary Festival lineup! Rachel and Mindy's high intensity and humorous performance, but most importantly, their challenging, thought provoking, and gritty yet beautiful poetry engaged the audience unlike many traditional speakers who visit campus. For many students it was their first exposure to performance or slam poetry, and they left inspired and changed.” — Aubrey Butts, Student Programmer, Notre Dame Literary Festival
Oberlin College
“The stories we heard that night from The Last Nerve will make every performance that comes after less satisfying, like chasing a magic dragon of high tea mighty lady poetry and unrecoverable experience. Tthe students were very moved and left energized about poetry.” — Ryan Magiera, President of ObieSlam!
Innisfree Poetry Bookstore and Café – Boulder, Colorado
“The community still speaks of the power they tap into because of the force and meaning Mindy and Rachel granted all that night. And at that one event we made enough money to keep our store alive for three months. We are so grateful and inspired.” — Brian Buckley, Proprietor
Redefining Ladylike One Knockout Poem At A Time
LAST NERVE TOUR SCHEDULE, FALL 2011
Tuesday, September 13th – Long Beach, CA – Performance at {open}
7:30 door, 8pm show starts, all ages, $5 suggested door
http://www.thestoryofopen.com/
Wednesday, September 14th – San Jose, CA – Performance at Anno Domini at 8pm (tentative!)
Thursday, September 15th – Sacramento, CA – Performance at California State University, Sacramento
6pm in the Multi-Cultural Center (in the library), FREE (Parking fee needed)
http://www.csus.edu/
Saturday, September 17th – Vancouver, BC – Workshop at Julie Peters Yoga Studio
Monday, September 19th – Vancouver, BC – Performance at Vancouver Poetry Slam (Van Slam! Woot!)
http://vancouverpoetryhouse.com/
Tuesday, September 20th – Seattle, WA – Workshop and Performance at Seattle Poetry Slam
http://www.seattlepoetryslam.org/
Wednesday, September 21st – Portland, OR – Performance at Lewis & Clark
8pm, all ages, FREE, Templeton Campus Center in the Council Chamber, 615 SW Palatine Hill Road, Portland, OR 97219
Friday, September 23rd – Portland, OR – Performance at Reed College (tentative)
Saturday, September 24th – Portland, OR – Performance at Kitchen Sessions details TBA
Sunday, September 25th – Boise, ID – Performance at Women Of Steel Gallery
7pm, all ages, sliding scale $5-$10, students $1 with ID
http://womanofsteelgallery.com/
Friday, September 30th – Boulder, CO – Performance at Innisfree Bookstore
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Innisfree-Poetry-Bookstore-Cafe/152102094837613
Sunday, October 2nd – Denver, CO – Performance at Mercury Café Slam
http://www.mercurycafe.com/poetry.html
Tuesday, October 4th – Omaha, NE – Performance at Omaha Healing Arts Center
7:30 pm, $7 cover
http://www.omahahealingarts.com/
Wednesday, October 5th – Iowa City, IA – Performance at The Mill
5:30pm - 7pm! 120 East Burlington Street
Friday, October 7th – St. Paul, MN– Performance at Hamline University
8pm - 10pm, Hamline University: Drew Fine Arts Center Scene Shop, 1530 Hewitt Avenue, Saint Paul, MN
Saturday, October 8th – St. Paul, MN– Performance at Macalester
8pm - 10pm, Macalester October Poetry Slam @ 10K (Basement of Dupre), 1600 Grand Ave, Saint Paul, MN
Sunday, October 9th – Chicago, IL – Performance at Green Mill Poetry Slam
http://www.greenmilljazz.com/poetryslam.html
Monday, October 10th – Chicago, IL – Performance at the West Side School for the Desperate
8pm - 10pm, $5 cover, 18+ ID at the door, reasonable drinks.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=218005261593858
Tuesday, October 11th – Columbus, OH – Workshop and Performance at Urban Spirit Coffee Shop
workshop at 7pm, performance with open mic at 8pm
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=129251433843581
And then Rachel goes to IWPS!!!! And then the Adirondacks....Mindy goes elsewhere, and will reappear solo at:
Tuesday, October 18th – New Paltz, NY– Performance at SUNY New Paltz
7pm - 9pm, check events calendar for details...
Then the Last Nerve reunites....
Thursday, October 27th – Lewisburg, PA – Performance at Bucknell Univeristy
8pm, details TBA
Thursday, November 3rd – Boston, MA – Performance at Boston University
8pm, 8 St. Mary's Street in Boston, $7 general admission, $5 with BU id
http://speakbu.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/the-last-nerve/
Friday, November 4th – New York, NY – Performance at the amazing Bowery Poetry Club
9pm - 10:30, $10 cover, extra special prizes
www.bowerypoetry.com
Wednesday, November 9th – New York, NY – Performance at NYU
8pm, details TBA
Thursday, November 10th – Oberlin, OH – Performance at Oberlin College
FREE! 8pm - 9:30pm, Fairchild Chapel, 50 W. Lorain St., Oberlin, OH
