Rootabaga Poetry Slam with Marc Kelly Smith

I was introduced to my first poetry slam at the Green Mill in Chicago a few years ago, hosted by the one and only Marc Kelly Smith.  He is the founder of the poetry slam movement with an apropos nickname of Slam Papi.

I had no experience with poetry and wasn't sure what to expect.  Marc took the stage, and his words and presence were so powerful that he had my full attention.  I'm sharing a video from YouTube that I think is a good example.

All the slammers that night evoked many emotions, and the evening was truly an enlightening experience.  I knew that I would return again for this magical experience.

The perfect place to see him, and many others, is at the 8th Annual Rootabaga Poetry Slam in Galesburg, IL on April 26th.  For those familiar with this art, you may recognize a couple of top slammers from Chicago who will be there - Greg Pickett and Tim Stafford. 

If you can't make it to this event, you can follow Marc, as he is always "slammin" somewhere.

http://www.slampapi.com/ 

Book lovers unite! At Prospero's Bookstore!

Even the outside is delightful

I'm happy to say the first stop during my trip to Kansas City was the noteworthy Prospero's Bookstore.  After doing some research of what to see and do, the store was at the top of my list.  I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Will, the founder and co-owner of this very charming bookstore.  Talk about friendly and full of knowledge!

Adore this tower of books

The agony of wanting to play with this

This is the type of bookstore that once you get inside it will be hard to leave.  If I had not been on such a tight schedule, I would have made a return visit.  Not only do they have an extraordinary selection of gently used books, DVDs, VHS, CD's and vinyl, there is marvelous art and other trinkets to feast your eyes upon throughout the store.

Great piece of art!

An interesting combination, right?

I think the most fascinating thing I learned from Will is the story behind the cauldron and pieces of mirror attached to the outside wall of the building.  Each of the mirror pieces had writing on them.  I walked by it en route to the front door and was immediately intrigued, so I had to ask.

Really wanted to walk out with this chair, but....

There are little private areas to read in between the shelves

Will told me the mirror pieces are shaped like flames and were placed above the cauldron that the books were burned in.  On each mirror piece, they etched snippets of original poetry penned by local poets.  In the morning, the mirrors catch the sunrise and can look like real fire (sorry I missed that).

Love this unique display of art and books

You are probably asking yourself "why were books burned in a cauldron?"  I promise it has nothing to do with witches!  I think the best way to learn about that is to read the story on their website.  The event actually attracted national attention.        http://tinyurl.com/mo2l9ux

I think you now have a good idea why Prospero's Bookstore is a must-see in Kansas City.  I was told they just opened up a new location that also features a cafe, so I already have one thing on my to do list for next time.

Trying to imagine what it was like