The Butterfly Effect

The Butterfly Effect is a monthly poetry event celebrating community, personal growth, and transformation. We honor the individual artist’s evolution, from caterpillar to butterfly, while also fostering a sense of collective strength and support among all participants.

The event features an open mic for emerging and established artists, along with a featured artist segment spotlighting two powerful voices within the community.

With a focus on love, support, and community building, The Butterfly Effect is more than just a poetry event—it's a space where people come together to collaborate, uplift, and celebrate the beauty of self-expression in all its forms. Whether you're a poet, artist, or simply someone who appreciates the power of words, The Butterfly Effect invites you to be part of a growing community of butterflies.

Join us for an evening of art, connection, and transformation. All are welcome.

Marlo is a spoken word artist based in Brooklyn, NY, whose powerful storytelling blends vulnerability with an animated stage presence. Her poetry delves into themes of mental health, family, grief, personal identity, and sexuality.

Marlo is a 2x slam champion and has performed at a variety of renowned organizations, including BRIC Poetry Slam, Nuyorican Poetry Slam, The Bronx Museum, The Bowery Poetry Club, One Love One Mic, Trouble Makers, Not Your Average Open Mic, and more. Her work was also published in Poets Choice’s anthology Seven Jumbled Words in 2024, which celebrates the voices of contemporary spoken word artists.

At the heart of Marlo's artistry is her commitment to building community. Whether performing on stage or writing for the page, she uses her craft to connect with others and help both herself and her audience navigate life's challenges. Marlo's poetry remains a testament to the power of vulnerability, connection, and the collective healing that art can foster.

IG: @marlospokenword

Alesha (Uh- Lay- Shuh) Smith is a proud HBCU Alum (Xavier University of Louisiana), writer, and forever hooper dedicated to sports activism and the intersection of sport and social justice. Though her professional work centers the transformational power that sport has to build and maintain community, spoken word continues to be one of her therapeutic outlets.

Whether performing at the legendary Nuyorican Poets Cafe or Brooklyn’s BRIC Poetry Slam, whenever she’s on stage she brings her strong southern accent, her sense of humor, her love for Blackness, and her jump shot... just in case it’s needed.

IG: @laesmiff

Donat is a third world child raised in upper Manhattan. A product of Washington heights and Harlem life. A black man birthed in the island country of the Dominican Republic and raised in the concrete jungle. He tells poetic narratives in hopes of giving shape to ghostly feelings, and texture to spirits.

IG: @onelovehustle

We look forward to welcoming you to our space to celebrate and recognize poetry of all forms. Pop out and tell a friend to tell a friend!!!

For any questions please contact [email protected]

Host or Publisher @marlospokenword