This article is to say "THANK YOU" to all who came out and helped make our August 1st Poetry Open Mic Night at Annie's Art Gallery such an overwhelming and wonderful success!  All of us at Annie's were so very happy to see such an outpouring of support for our Open Mic Poetry Night.  Clearly, the early birds got the seats at our filled & flowing-out-the-door mid-summer Open Mic Poetry Night!  

 

Our featured poet, Jason Reynolds, was awesome!  His poignant personal testimonies and his call to consciousness, as conveyed through his poetry, were at once heart-wrenching and inspiring, moving us to reflect and react to the many issues and challenges of the day.  Thank you, Jason, for transporting us through poetry and spoken word to a place of insight and understanding, that pinnacle of accomplishment often sought, but seldom found by poets of lesser means.  Thank you also for your messages of encouragement to the youth, and also to all who labor to ensure that poetry is understood to be the empowering tool for positive change that it is. 

 

The mic was "on fire" throughout the night, with so many powerful poets in the house!  We were thrilled to have many young and "young at heart" poets; novice and seasoned poets alike, share their poetry on the mic.  Each poet shared original, heartfelt poetry in a spirit-filled and engaging manner.  It is clear to me that many fulfilling nights of poetry lay ahead of us at Annie's.  Ours was indeed a cornucopia of poetry that night, with an outpouring of verse from deep within exhilirated, often anguished, and most often refreshingly, passionate souls.  I look forward to the privilege of featuring, in the months to come, many of the poets that shared poetry that evening. 

 

I will be announcing our next (September 18th) featured poet shortly.  Feel free to check my Events listing on this web site for future featured poet announcements and other poetry event information.  Also, poets who wish to be considered as featured poets at future Open Mic Poetry Nights at Annie's Art Gallery may email me a one paragraph bio statement along with 2 sample poems.   

 

As mentioned on Friday (8/1/08) night, Annie's Art Gallery will host a free monthly Open Mic Poetry Night, on each 3rd Thursday, from 7 until 9 PM.  The idea of a naming contest for our poetry night has been suggested.  If you feel something other than our current "Annie's Art Gallery Open Mic Poetry Night" (...which could certainly remain the name) should be considered, please email your suggestion to me.  We hope to make a decision by our next Open Mic Poetry Night on based on guest/community feedback. 

 

Please mark your calendar now to SAVE THE DATE and plan to be with us for our next empowering, enlightening and fun-filled night of poetry from 7 until 9 PM, on Thursday, September 18, 2008 at Annie's Art Gallery.