A poem styled after Frank O’Hara’s “Why I’m Not a Painter” follows a poem contemplating the relationship between money and power, and another scrutinizing the meaning of a Subway sandwich, before a different writer riffs on the work of Maya Angelou. In turns surprising, delightful, and powerful, GBH’s Outspoken Saturdays series showcases spoken word artists to a live audience in GBH’s Studio at the Boston Public Library on the first Saturday of every month.
“Every single month, it’s a surprise,” says host Amanda Shea. “We never know what we’re gonna get — even though we read the pieces beforehand!” Now in its second year, the curated series has platformed more than a hundred poets — most of them local, but some from places as far flung as Florida and California. More than that, Outspoken Saturdays has helped form a diverse community of local poets and activists.
Outspoken Saturdays makes art accessible to everyone in the community. Having it in the public library gives people a welcoming space to discover poetry and connect with local artists. The poetry community in Boston is growing, and GBH and Outspoken Saturdays are pioneering a bigger platform for poets in the city. I am grateful to be a part of that.Mike D. Joseph, Outspoken Saturdays Poet
Much of this owes to the work of Shea, a teacher, activist, multi-hyphenate artist, and longtime pillar of the spoken word community in Boston. A three-time Boston Music Award-winning Spoken Word artist whose work has appeared in the Museum of Fine Arts, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Netflix, Prime Video, BBC News, GBH, and elsewhere, Shea insists Outspoken Saturdays is bigger than her. “I know what it’s like to be an upcoming poet — this series isn’t about me,” she says. “I’m just trying to bridge a gap.”
Shea has experienced firsthand the transformative power of poetry — its capacity to humanize, heal, and challenge — at events like poetry slams, open mic events, and scholastic competitions. “Having this event at the GBH Studio at the Boston Public Library at Copley Square changed a lot in terms of access,” she adds. “Adjacent to Newbury Street, it’s an affluent area. But poetry is transformational in that sense. To host kids from Roxbury, Mattapan, Dorchester, Hyde Park, Roslindale, and see them embrace this historic space that belongs to all of us — it’s so powerful.”
Growing up in the Boston area, GBH was integral to my childhood. Even with federal funding cuts, programs like these continue to positively affect our community, making a space for poets who may not be heard otherwise and creating a sense of community among local spoken word artists. Margareth Ngueza Antonio, Outspoken Saturdays PoetMargareth Ngueza Antonio, Outspoken Saturdays Poet
Shea has an effortless way of making the bustling GBH Studio at the Boston Public Library — full of students and transients and cafe-goers — a place where poets feel at home bearing their hearts. Each month, Shea reads through the many submissions to narrow the number of performers to eight. The show starts with her hosting a panel — for Pride Month, National Poetry Month, or Black History Month, for example — before welcoming the poets to the stage.
Pre- and mid-show, Shea moves, buoyant, around the stage, drumming up the crowd and drawing attention to the stage between performances. She is nothing if not generous: to the BPL crowd, the passers-by on the street (who often wander in to see what all the buzz is about), and most of all to the poets to whom she cedes the stage. Some will read their work from the page, others wander the stage, mic-in-hand, sharing their work from memory with disarming vulnerability. One artist shares the story of his wife, in-attendance, and her battle with cancer over the past years. The next poet talks about coming-of-age and the failures that accompany it. The subjects vary wildly, but the crowd welcomes all to the stage with a palpable warmth.
Outspoken Saturdays is a space artists dream about — a room where vulnerability is not only welcomed but celebrated, where voices that are often overlooked are amplified, and where community is built. Poetry, spoken aloud, lets me alchemize the parts of my life that were once too heavy to hold and turn them into something that can hold others. This platform feels like an anchor in the arts community…I’m truly honored to be a part of it.Nicole Henley, Outspoken Saturdays Poet
The impact of the series runs as deep as it does wide, with many of the participating artists becoming mainstays in the program and forming strong connections with fellow poets. “Outspoken Saturdays is an opportunity for local emerging poets like myself to gain exposure and confidence,” says Queen Hodge, “and I’ve remained in contact with poets from this venue. We network, share ideas, and inspire each other.”
For Shea, Outspoken Saturdays is a microcosm of the work she’s trying to accomplish across the city through her art, activism, and mentorship. “I’ve seen poetry save lives, save relationships. This is a chance for people who might not know anything about spoken word to experience poetry and amplify artists in our community,” she says. “Every month, I’m taken aback by how cool it is that I get to do this.”
“Outspoken Saturdays celebrates the diversity of Boston’s creative scene,” says poet and participant Ashley Abitz. “It reminds us that poetry isn’t confined to the page or the academy — it’s living, shared, and shaped by the people who gather to listen.”
Check out the playlist of past performances. From September to June, you can stop by Outspoken Saturdays on the first Saturday of the month at 2pm at the GBH Boston Public Library Studio.
Amanda Shea is the executive producer of FreeVerse, a monthly series of open mic events supported by the City of Boston’s Art Engagements Grant, that includes youth showcases, spoken word, poetry, DJ sets, musical performances, and standup comedy.
