TO SAY HOUSTON has a lively poetry scene is an understatement. As we wrote back in 2017, in venues across the city — including Brazos Bookstore, Basket Books & Art, and Poison Girl, which hosts the long-running Poison Pen Reading Series — curated and open-mic readings and slam poetry competitions are happening almost nightly, and continue to be a cross-cultural, “cool and intellectually stimulating form of entertainment” for Houstonians of all ages.