Poets Unplugged: An Evening of Spoken Word and Music
Saturday, February 12, 7pm @ Fogartyville

WSLR+Fogartyville is pleased to present a series of Spoken Word events this season.  The first in the series of four events hosted by Spoken Word artist Melanie Lavender will take place on Saturday, February 12^th from 7-10pm as part of New College of Florida’s Black History Month Celebration.  Doors will open at 7pm as DJ Rozay sets the mood with his musical mix.  At 8pm local poets are invited to participate in the Open Mic prior to the featured poet performance. (Open Mic sign-up begins at 7:15pm).  The theme for the Open Mic will be ‘TRUTH and POWER’and poets should choose to share work that relates to this theme.  

Our featured performer at 9pm on February 12^th will be award-winning poet and writer, Carla Christopher, the former Poet Laureate of York, Pennsylvania.  Christopher will be sharing interactive and theatrically inspired new work based on research and personal pilgrimage around the hidden stories of the underground railroad and our ongoing journey towards freedom. The audience will be inspired by Christopher’s combined spoken word, performance poetry, and historical storytelling as she escorts us on a journey in the griot tradition.  The event is free, but people are asked to register in advance through EventBrite.

Earlier in the day, Christopher will also host a free writing workshop entitled “Storytelling for Transformation: Poetry, Spoken Word, and Memoir from the Griot Tradition”from 12-2pm at Ringling College. In this generative workshop, Christopher will guide participants through the core traditions of creative storytelling as cultural preservation, communal spirituality, and soul healing. Participants will practice multiple techniques for effective writing, editing, and performance.  They will gather ideas and write together, departing with at least two in-progress (or even completed) pieces.  Register HERE.

The remaining events in the Spoken Word Series will take place on the 2^nd Saturday of the month and feature the following performers:

            March 12 – Featured Poets:  Greatness Beyond Measure

            April 9 – Black on Black Rhyme Tampa

            May 14 – Melanie Lavender

This series has been made possible with funding support provided by the Venice Endowment Fund of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation.    Support for the kickoff event in partnership with New College of Florida was made possible by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Photos from Fogartyville