ART OF WORDS Poets’ Open Mic

This popular monthly event, co-hosted by Big Bailey and CathyB, is a great opportunity for adults and young adults to practice performance skills in front of a small audience, receive feedback, and get inspiration for creating new creative works. Except for the featured artist, individual performances are limited to 3 minutes and may be on any “radio friendly” topic. If time allows, additional performances may be invited.

Open mic signup begins at 5:30. Featured poet begins at 6:00.

October Theme/Writing Prompt: TBA
October Featured Performer: BUGSY CALHOUN

Bio
Jamal Washington (Bugsy Calhoun), a poet emcee born and raised in the OceanHill Brownsville section of Brooklyn NY, debuted his poetry at the Brooklyn Moon. He is founding member of the Unusual Suspects poetry Troop and member of Black on Black Rhyme and the slam master of Columbia’s slam team Tribe Slam. He Co-hosts an open mic at The House of Hathor called the J.A.M. Session with his wife (Wintah Storm) Karen Joyner Washington. He also has 6 spoken word and hip hop music projects on https://bugsycalhoun.bandcamp.com/album/barznstanzas

Bugsy works in the community using his poetry to build Bridges not barriers. He works with Tracy Oakman who runs the Princess Empowerment and Boyz II Men infused mentoring program. Coming out of the COVID lockdown he pivoted his focus and is now the leading organizer and advocate for spoken word poets in the Midlands.

For information about ART OF WORDS and other poetry events at ACPL contact cathyb@abbe-lib.org or call:
Reference Desk at 803-642-2020 ext 3