Hi Friends! I have some small, fun news:

My live albums from latest book release shows are now available on Spotify and most other streaming platforms! You can catch them, along with the MRMH Mixtape (featuring music that inspired the poems), at my Spotify artist page linked here.

I have many fond memories of enjoying poetry and stand up CDs on road trips with friends, and my hope in creating both live albums was to curate listening experiences with ebbs and flows that folks can enjoy while riding with their loved ones (or solo).

Whether you’re going on adventure or commuting, I’d be honored for you to spend some time with me and the folks who were a part of these special evenings.

Oh, and if you love AKEEM’s musical accompaniment–and how could you not–be sure to check out his incredible band Love Your Own Noise (L.Y.O.N.).

Write on!
Justin

Me & the Rest of My Heathens (Live at the Zeitgeist)

Everything Has a Place: A Live Poetry Album!

Hi Friends!

I’m excited to share that I am releasing Me and the Rest of My Heathens – Live at the Zeitgeist on Friday, July 1st. This project features 13 poems performed at my book release in April, including several tracks with the incredible and multi-talented AKEEM of Love Your Own Noise (L.Y.O.N.).

This release date is special to me for two reasons. First, this project is a celebration of love and July 1st also marks my parents’ 44th anniversary. Second, as someone who has found joy listening to poetry and comedy albums while traveling, my hope is that folks can tap into this project over the long weekend it comes out.

Many thanks to Thomas Walsh for his deft sound engineering and everyone who was a part of that special night. I’m glad we were able to capture a slice of it, and I hope you enjoy it. You can find the project at the following link starting July 1st: https://justinpoet.bandcamp.com/releases

Much love!

Justin

Many thanks to everyone who came out to the Zeitgeist Theatre & Lounge in April for our launch of Me & the Rest of My Heathens! I can’t think of a better way to put this book out into the world than among the warmth of friends and family.

Hi Friends!

Due to a power outage related to Tuesday’s tornado in Arabi, my book release and live recording at the Zeitgeist Theatre and Lounge has been tentatively rescheduled to Saturday, April 2nd at 8 PM. We are looking forward to hosting the show soon and encourage folks to donate to Imagine Water Works for mutual aid if you can. For show updates, we recommend RSVPing here if you haven’t already.

Some good news is that the books are here and they are handsome. If you are out of town would like order a copy, you can do so here ($15 + $6 S&H) or the “merch” page. If you are in town and don’t want to wait till the next book release, get at me. Pre-orders went out today and I’ll be sending out another round next Saturday.

Many thanks to my editor and layout genius Geoff Munstermann and the good folks at Paper Machine for putting together this beauty:

Hello Friends!

I wrote a book about how we live by loving, and it feels like the time to release it is now. Hope to see you there. 💙🧡

RSVP Here.

Hello Friends! I’ll be reading some poems on Instagram Live tonight. The poems are first drafts from my recent foray into writing 50 poems in 50 days this summer. Come join me if you’d like @justinalamb.

Every April, many poets commit to writing 30 poems in 30 days as a special National Poetry Month challenge. Although I love this generative exercise, April has proved to be a tricky month for me due to academic deadlines as a student and educator. A few years ago, some friends and I started doing a summer challenge as a substitute. I love these challenges for the camaraderie they build and the freedom to write crappy poems. It’s impossible not to write crappy poems because any energy you’d like to use towards fine-tuning must instead go towards churning out the next day’s poem.

As a result, I rarely come out of the experience with fully formed work, but I write what would otherwise not exist and quite often create the fertile soil that sprouts new poems in July and onward. In fact, a lot of the poems featured in my past two manuscripts began during one of these 30/30 challenges. We’re gearing up for another one at the start of June. If you’re interested in joining us, you can sign up via this link. I hope everyone’s hanging in there and staying safe. Write on.

Hello Friends! I just touched down in Portland and am elated read at a few shows in the Northwest this week!

Sunday, 4.1 – Portland Poetry Slam
Monday, 4.2 – Vancouver Poetry Slam
Wednesday, 4.4 – Rain City Poetry Slam (Seattle)

Below are my goals for my mini tour. I hope to hit at least three out of four!

1. Read & hear poems
2. Meet people.
3. Have fun.
3. Bring professional basketball back to the good cities of Vancouver and Seattle.

Everything Has a Place LIVE! album is now available.
Download or stream here.

Happy National Poetry Month, friends. I’m excited to announce that Everything Has A Place LIVE! will be hitting the internets on Tuesday, April 26. Thanks to all who came out to the recording! I can’t wait to share this with everyone!