JeFF Stumpo, Author

Back in 2009-2010, when my wife and I first lived in New Hampshire, I was a regular at Slam Free or Die, the slam and open mic series based in Manchester. I even made the team they sent to the National Poetry Slam in 2010 (and was the lead writer on, among other things, the first multi-person American Sign Language piece to appear at an NPS, to the extent of my knowledge – it was strongly influenced by the amazing work of the group Flying Words). We moved away for over a decade, but we’re back in New Hampshire, and I’ve been attending SFoD most Thursdays since November 2024. In the intervening years, it moved from the Bridge Cafe to Stark Brewing Company, various regulars have come and gone and come again, but it’s still, at least to me, comfortable and supportive. If you’re looking for an open mic and live in the area, they primarily post their schedule to Facebook and Instagram (alas, I have no social media at all, but even I’m able to see the most recent 3-4 posts on Facebook), as well as announcing the coming month or so worth of featured guests, competitions, and so forth each week.

Thursdays. Doors open 7pm. Open mic starts at 8, allowing for a bit of Poet Time (TM).