Liner Notes is back with the next showcase taking place on Thursday, July 16, 2026! 

Periodically, we take a break from competitive performance to sit back, appreciate some good music, and all share a new poem. (NEW SH!T) Our next Liner Notes will be Thursday July 16, 2026 we will be gathering at PPC HQ from 6-8 PM and sharing our work inspired by The Beths – Expert in a Dying Field. This album was selected by The Librarian (<3) for all our listening pleasure! I am totally going to cry!

To participate and receive a track assignment for this Liner Notes showcase, please complete this Google form

Participants receive 2 points towards the Steel City Slam season standings. New sh t is priceless.

What on earth is Liner Notes?

Liner Notes is a poetic tribute to music and a showcase of new work by local writers. It works like this:

The Pittsburgh Poetry Collective community picks an album; a poet signs up in advance to be randomly assigned a track from that album. The poet composes a new poem ‘inspired by’ that track in any way they choose, which they then read in the Liner Notes showcase! Poets have written form poetry, lyrics erasure pieces, the most tenuously related subject matter – pretty much anything goes at Liner Notes and that means props and costumes are welcome! Hashtag We do what we want!

Nationwide, Liner Notes was inspired by Mashed Poetics in Vancouver B.C. and brought to the Steel City from Rain City [Seattle Slam] by Shanna Blackwood. 

We will have an in-person writing circle and online mini-workshop to support this Liner Notes!!

Audience members welcome!! Come see my garden!! Check out our Events page for all our upcoming stuff!