press:

If you are member of the press and you are looking for high-res press photos, please click here, here, here, here, here and here for five options. For more, please write to bookings@aptowicz.com.



Unfortunately not all press can be linked to due to lack of links for every article (why don't you archive, online New Yorker!). However, we'll do our best.

July 20, 2008: In his review of Words In Your Face for Galatea Resurrects, Michael Layne Heath writes, "A longtime mainstay of NYC's slam community, Aptowicz has constructed an objective yet passionate account of Slam's impact on New York's long reknown status as a prime energy center for poets... Aptowicz has done a most admirable job of getting NY Slam pathfinders, cheerleaders and exponents alike to talk candidly and honestly about about their experiences, and where they see it all headed in future. WORDS IN YOUR FACE may not inspire the detractors to check out their local Slam night, but for its equally legion fans, it is a vital window into that world, and as such, a perfect update and companion to 1996's masterful documentary SLAM NATION." To read his full review of it in Galatea Resurrects, click here.

May 27, 2008: In her BookSlut column Sticky Pages, reviewer Melissa Lion called Cristin's poetry collection Hot Teen Slut, "the greatest book of poetry ever written." She continues by writing: "It's funny and I understand the poems. They have a beginning, a middle, and an end. The language is linear and clear and I don't need to stare at a blank wall trying to muddle through a meaning, if there is one, or fight my need for a meaning if it's postmodern. And the poems are all about sex." To read the full review, check out the BookSlut column here.

April 20, 2008: In the Sunday 4/20 issue of the Washington Post, Cristin's book Words In Your Face was named one of 5 Notable Books "Exploring Poetry" of 2008. In the write-up, they note: "The author, a poet herself, offers this first definitive look at the origins of the now ubiquitous poetry slam, from the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in NYC to more mainstream outlets and a national audience." To read all the 2008 selections, check out the article here.

April 2008: Cristin's program with the Kelly Writers House, which was named as the Second annual Caroline Rothstein Oral Poetry Event garnered press in Philadelphia Weekly, Penn Current and the GSC / UPenn Newsletter.

April 2008: For the Best American Poetry Blog, Cristin is interviewed by novelist Janice Erlbaum. Cristin answers questions about slam, academia, and just how many poets made out with Courtney Love in 1994. To read the full interview, click here.

April 2008: In her review of Words In Your Face, Erica Varlese writes "Aptowicz seems like a cool older sister with the insider scoop on th hottest pop-cultural phenomenon this side of the 20th century... Words In Your Face is perfect for slam newbies and fans of the Big Apple's seemingly endless supply of alterna-history tales. And for established fans, Aptowicz's juicy info on teh competitive underbelly of slam gives an extra punch to an already perfectly researched read..." To read her full review in the awesome "Men We Love" issue of BUST, snag a copy at your local bookstore or better yet subscript here.

April 2008: In his review of WIYF, Matthew L. Moffett writes "Aptowicz uses anecdotes, stories, and interviews to chronicle the life of this unique art form. The general public holds an image of an aggressive, in-your-face poet shouting words on stage, but the author shows a movement with surprising levels of depth and diversity... Although many may know the backgrounds and names of the poets who made a big splash on popular TV programs like MTV's Spoken Word Unplugged and Def Poetry Jam, the stories of Slam’s beginnings and how it continued to grow in spite of its sudden popularity are what make this book so fascinating..." To read his full review, please see the non-fiction section of the online issue found here.

April 1, 2008: Cristin and Shappy's appearance at the College of Saint Rose is promoted in The Chronicle,the weekly student newspaper of the College of Saint Rose). To read the article, click here.

March 30, 2008: In her article on both Words In Your Face and Shaptowicz's forthcoming appearance at the Frequency North reading series, journalist Amy Halloran writes "[Words In Your Face] covers the history of slam, which began at Chicago's Green Mill in 1986 when Marc Smith invented a competition format to get audiences into the bar. The habit spread quickly to New York City, where Bob Holman enthusiastically birthed the NYC slam, which in turn pushed poets into the national spotlight in a fashion that had not occurred since Edna St. Vincent Millay toured to sold-out crowds in the early 20th century..." To read the full article -- which features brief interviews with both Shappy and Cristin, please click here.

March 12, 2008: In his review of Words In Your Face, Nathan Logan writes "Aptowicz has put a wealth of information in Words in Your Face. First and foremost, she provides a history to this movement in New York City that is just as rich as any other poetry movement in the United States... Aptowicz should be congratulated for this rich collection. Anyone interested in poetry, of any kind, should give this book a good read." To read his full review of it in Galatea Resurrects, click here. here.

March 3, 2008: Cristin and Shappy's featured performance at the Mental Graffiti 10th Anniversary Party makes Time Out Chicago's life of "Five Things to Do" for March 3rd. You can check it out here.

December 22, 2007: Cristin, in collaboration with the spoken word podcast INDIEFEED, will be producing a month's worth of shows celebrating the voices of the New York City Poetry Slam in honor of Cristin's book Words In Your Face. To listen to the bonus show featuing Cristin performing the Pushcart Prize nominated, "All I'd Leave Behind," please click here.

December 21, 2007: Cristin, in collaboration with the spoken word podcast INDIEFEED, will be producing a month's worth of shows celebrating the voices of the New York City Poetry Slam in honor of Cristin's book Words In Your Face. New shows will be posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Dec 3 - 21st! To listen to the ninth show featuring louderARTS champ and Queens Poet Laureate, ISHLE YI PARK, please click here.

December 19, 2007: Cristin, in collaboration with the spoken word podcast INDIEFEED, will be producing a month's worth of shows celebrating the voices of the New York City Poetry Slam in honor of Cristin's book Words In Your Face. New shows will be posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Dec 3 - 21st! To listen to the eight show featuring Nuyorican Champ and Def Poet, MEYDA DEL VALLE, please click here.

December 17, 2007: Cristin, in collaboration with the spoken word podcast INDIEFEED, will be producing a month's worth of shows celebrating the voices of the New York City Poetry Slam in honor of Cristin's book Words In Your Face. New shows will be posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Dec 3 - 21st! To listen to the seventh show featuring NYC spoken word icon and King Missile frontman, JOHN S. HALL, please click here.

December 14, 2007: Cristin, in collaboration with the spoken word podcast INDIEFEED, will be producing a month's worth of shows celebrating the voices of the New York City Poetry Slam in honor of Cristin's book Words In Your Face. New shows will be posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Dec 3 - 21st! To listen to the sixth show featuring NYC slam poet and FiLatino Tour founder, EDWARD GARCIA, please click here.

December 12, 2007: Cristin, in collaboration with the spoken word podcast INDIEFEED, will be producing a month's worth of shows celebrating the voices of the New York City Poetry Slam in honor of Cristin's book Words In Your Face. New shows will be posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Dec 3 - 21st! To listen to the fifth show featuring CELENA GLENN and the 2000 National Poetry Slam Championship Team, NYC-Urbana, please click here.

December 10, 2007: Cristin, in collaboration with the spoken word podcast INDIEFEED, will be producing a month's worth of shows celebrating the voices of the New York City Poetry Slam in honor of Cristin's book Words In Your Face. New shows will be posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Dec 3 - 21st! To listen to the fourth show featuring louderARTS founder, GUY LECHARLES GONZALEZ, please click here.

December 7, 2007: Cristin, in collaboration with the spoken word podcast INDIEFEED, will be producing a month's worth of shows celebrating the voices of the New York City Poetry Slam in honor of Cristin's book Words In Your Face. New shows will be posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Dec 3 - 21st! To listen to the third show featuring NYC Slam Poet and Queens Poet Laureate, HAL SIROWITZ, please click here.

December 5, 2007: Cristin, in collaboration with the spoken word podcast INDIEFEED, will be producing a month's worth of shows celebrating the voices of the New York City Poetry Slam in honor of Cristin's book Words In Your Face. New shows will be posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Dec 3 - 21st! To listen to the second show featuring NYC Poetry Slam icon, MAGGIE ESTEP, please click here.

December 5, 2007: Cristin, along NYC Slam guru and BPC owner Bob Holman, will be interviewed live on the NPR show, "City Watch," which is broadcast live every Wednesday 10am - 11am on the NYC NPS station, WBAI / 99.5 FM. City Watch, as part of the Same Boat Coalition, invites guests who are involved with social, economic, political and cultural issues in New York City. For more information the show or to listen to an MP3 of the show, please visit the WBAI website,here.

December 3, 2007: Cristin, in collaboration with the spoken word podcast INDIEFEED, will be producing a month's worth of shows celebrating the voices of the New York City Poetry Slam in honor of Cristin's book Words In Your Face. New shows will be posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Dec 3 - 21st! To listen to the first show featuring NYC Poetry Slam founder and guru, BOB HOLMAN, please click here.

December 2, 2007: An excerpted sub-chapter from Words In Your Face appears in the witty & political lit mag, November 3rd Club. Cristin joins other NYC poets such Marty McConnell, Oscar Bermeo, Keith Roach and Edwin Torres, among many many others. To read Cristin's section, please click here.

November 26, 2007: Cristin's poem All I'd Leave Behind, which was published in the premier issue of SPINDLE joins Willie Perdomo, Taylor Mali, Raina Leon, Liz Dolan and Patricia Smith in being nominated by SPINDLE editor-in-chief, Guy LeCharles Gonzalez, for a Pushcart Prize. For the official SPINDLE announcement, please click here.

November 18, 2007: SPINDLE magazine publishes an interview between Cristin and its own sly, too-clever-for-his-own-good editor Guy LeCharles Gonzalez. To read the interview -- in which Gonzalez rakishly grills Cristin on all things slam -- as well as to read other vital works being published throughout this emerging and amazing new literary journal, click here.

November 16, 2007: Cristin is interviewed by poet Victor Infante on his Internet Radio show, "The Eclectic Word" about her new books, the New York City Poetry Slam and the role of comedy in poetry, among other topics. To listen to the hour-long show, click here.

November 14, 2007: Cristin chats about all things slam on "Conversations with Keith," a wonderful and eclectic radio talk show hosted by the legendary Nuyorican slammaster and host, Keith Roach. To listen to the hour-long show or to check out archives of Keith's previous interivews, click here.

June 20, 2007: Cristin is interviewed live on the NPR show, "City Watch," the local NPS should which is broadcast live every Wednesday 10am - 11am on the NYC NPS station, WBAI / 99.5 FM. City Watch, as part of the Same Boat Coalition, invites guests who are involved with social, economic, political and cultural issues in New York City. For more information the show or to listen to an MP3 of the show, please visit the WBAI website, here.

September 12, 2006: Cristin Sept 11th Lecture at the University of Pennsylvania's Kellys Writers House is covered by the Daily Pennsylvanian, with ample info (and even a quote or two) provided by Cristin's mom. Check it here.

September 6, 2006: Cristin Sept 11th Lecture at the University of Pennsylvania's Kellys Writers House is one of Philadelphia Weekly's "Editor's Picks." Check it here.

August 4, 2006: "Mother," one of Cristin's earliest spoken word piecs, is featured on one of the internet most popular spoken word show, Indiefeed with host Mongo. Cristin's poem joins great work by poets such as Taylor Mali, Steve Marsh, Jared Paul and Cin Salach, among many others. Check it here, and check back often as more of Cristin's poems are scheduled to be uploaded.

June 8 - 14, 2006: Cristin Sept 11th Lecture at the University of Pennsylvania's Kellys Writers House made the Philadelphia City Paper's "Ultimate Summer Fun List." Check it here.

May 24, 2006: "****ing Made Easier," one of Cristin's bawdiest poems about her time working in the "adult interest" world, is featured on one of the internet most popular spoken word show, Indiefeed with host Mongo. Cristin's poem joins great work by poets such as Taylor Mali, Steve Marsh, Jared Paul and Cin Salach, among many others. Check it here, and check back often as more of Cristin's poems are scheduled to be uploaded.

March 6, 2006: "Lit," one of Cristin's most popular poems, is featured on one of the internet most popular spoken word show, Indiefeed with host Mongo. Cristin's poem joins great work by poets such as Taylor Mali, Steve Marsh, Jared Paul and Cin Salach, among many others. Check it here, and check back often as more of Cristin's poems are scheduled to be uploaded.

March 3, 2006: Cristin's interview with The Angry Poet co-founder Kristyn Sherman Brown is featured on this month's The Angry Poet website. Showcasing the writer's process, the interview finally unmasks the connection between the "Star Wars" theme and Cristin's current poetry career. Check it out here.

October 26, 2005: Cristin's post-lecture performance at Hastings, Nebraska's Blue Moon Cafe is covered by Amanda Pinkelman for HC World News. Cristin's performance is sited as influencing students to start their own ppoetry slam, and one student is quoted as saying, "I was nice to hear humorous poetry. I have heard tons of serious poetry, and it was cool to see a poet use humor to relate to the audience." Huzzah!

November 10, 2004: Cristin is interviewed by Scene Missing Magazine, where she joins other pop culture netizens such as David Cross, Louis CK and Chuck Klosterman, on the latest online version of Scene Missing Magazine found here. The print version due out by Athens,GA-based art project is due out by the end of the year.

May 2004: Shaptowicz rocks the Def Poetry Jam website as the featured Poets of the Month!

January 26, 2004: The New York Times reviews the Chamber Dance Project's January performances, including the revival of Cristin's piece, Bowery Poetry et al.

October 17, 2003: Australia's ABC Radio interviews Cristin about her Sydney Opera House production, "Mouth Off!!".

September 11, 2003: The Philadelphia Inquirer writes up a quick blurb about Cristin's Philly-based "Mutter" film shoot.

June 3, 2003: The New York Times reviews Cristin's "hilariously spunky" performance with Chamber Dance Project

Summer 2003: For those Francophiles Out There: No one know if this French article on L'histoire du Mouvement Slam even mentions Cristin, but they used her sassy mug start it off!

April 7, 2003: The Philadelphia Inquirer write-up of Cristin winning the Grand Prize at the Philadelphia Film Festival

October 4, 2002: The brief Bucknellian write-up of Cristin's appearance there as a featured poet and host.

February 1, 2002: Xerography Debt's review of "Hot Teen Slut..."

April 26, 2001: The intreprid and Joe Quenan-esque columnist for Leisuresuit.net , Jordan Hoffman, muses lengthly about how Cristin's love of Starbuck's coffee was the catalyst for some deep soul-searching regarding personal ethics and Miles Davis.

October 11, 2000: Cristin joined the 2000 National Poetry Slam Championship URBANA slam team here on the NPR showThe Infinite Mind. Cristin's piece "Mother" was used, as was the Urbana Group piece, "Running a Race."

February 18, 2000: The Jin Moon review of Urbana (back when it was still at CBGBs)