Author: BenBrindise

New writing has led to new publications and appearances in new markets in 2026. In January, Year of the Goblin was published in Brilliant Flash Fiction, and in February, Rabbits was picked up and published by HAWKEYE Magazine. Year of the Goblin follows a narrator in the wake of the death of a young cousin,…

Find Tickets Here A new premier showcase for spoken word poetry will kick off July 16th at Iron Works. Buffalo Speaks seeks to build a new stage for experienced spoken word poets. Writers who’ve graced national stages, long-tenured community members, and fresh new voices will partake in a curated line-up, forgoing traditional spoken word poetry…

July & August sees Poet Laureates Grace Caffe Aroma WEDNESDAY NIGHT LIVE kicked off in July of 2025 with Buffalo’s Poet Laureate Aitina Fareed-Cooke. Aitina raised the bar by outfitting the caffe with her own sound system (which she let be used for the following open mic) and sound mixer. From there, Buffalo’s own ran…

Thanks to Art Services, Inc’s Creative Impact Fund, for the next twelve months we will be bringing in a feature poet to headline the second open mic of every month. This poet will also run a free-to-attend writing workshop at the Caffe at Amy’s on Main St in Buffalo, NY. First up, we couldn’t be…

This week, I’m saying thank you to The Hooghly Review for publishing White Elephant – a flash fiction story that seats you on the couch next to an extended family as they battle over White Elephant presents – and highlighting it as one of their Weekly Features. Not known for my humor or effusive optimism…

Writing, Workshops, and Getting Back in the Swing Through most of 2020 through 2023, I was taking a long break. Immersion in a creative field leads you to new ideas, new projects, and hopefully breakthroughs to new levels of craft. It can also feel like being hitched up to a car battery in an ever-shrinking…

Ben takes over updates Hi! Before we get to notes from summer, I wanted to acknowledge the change to my updates here on the site. I’ll (Ben, it’s me!) be taking over so I have a better chance to connect and talk about upcoming projects. Flash Fiction in Peatsmoke Journal this Fall This Fall you’ll…

Buffalo Sends a Team to the 2024 Southern Fried Poetry Slam In June, Buffalo sent a team of five poets (Yamilla Tate, Jheanelle Kerr, Dallas Taylor, Jared Benjamin, and Brandon Williamson) to the 2024 Southern Fried Poetry Slam in Pompano Beach, FL. After a week of competition, they finished ranked 22nd in the country, Buffalo’s…

Last week, Ben stopped into Orchard Park High School for a day of workshops-in-class, presenting Speak, Poet: Writing a Spoken Word Poem for AP Seniors in the Creative Writing and English classes. Throughout the day, students discussed the differences in intention between traditional and spoken word poetry, the two things that are needed in order…