A Poetry Evening at the Book Collector and Queen Sheba ( Sacramento)

The audience packed the Book Collector for the Rattlesnake Book Launch

Sacramento is the city of poetry. At any night of the week you can find a poetry event to go to, whether it's in the downtown area, or somewhere in the Greater Sac area.

I usually just attend the Monday night readings at the Sacramento Poetry Center, where I am a host, but tonight I found myself attending two events, one at the Book Collector and a second one, at the Queen Sheba [Ethiopian] restaurant on Broadway. The Book Collector event, which started at 7:30pm, was a chapbook and broadside launch by Rattlesnake Press, the publishers of the Rattlesnake Review. The chapbook is Mirror, Mirror: Poems of the Mother-daughter Relationship by Susan Finkleman. The broadside is Late Harvest by Marie Reynolds. The poets read from their new works and the Book Collector was full, with people standing outside the door. The poets were introduced by the editor and publisher of Rattlesnake Press, Kathy Kieth.

Nice event in a great venue. The Book Collector is Sacramento's best spot to sight local poets and to buy their works, and the good thing is, some of the Rattlesnake products are given for free there. It's one of the few bookstores that actually declare that poetry is part of their strength. For such a small book store, it has a large poetry section. So here are a few photos from the Rattlesnake event at the Book Collector:

Kathy Keith introducing Marie Reynolds.

Susan Finkleman reading from Mirror-Mirror.

Each poem in Mirror-Mirror is accompanied by an illustration done by Joseph Finkleman.

Susan and Joseph Finkleman reading a poem together. It was one of those poems that come in two voices

Susan signing my book.

Of course, I really love the Book Collector's promotion of poets, especially local poets. Richard Hansen, owner of the book store, loves poetry and has worked with the Sacramento Poetry Center for many years. I couldn't avoid taking photos of the poetry section (because today for me was all about poetry):

Book Collector's poetry section.

After the book launch I continued to Queen Sheba restaurant for the Mahogany Urban poetry series, which is held every Wednesday. Hosted by Khairy Malik, whom I shared the stage with once at the SPC, the Mahogany poetry event was full of touching performances. Mahogany some poets read their works from the printed page while others offer slam-style performances. And there is a DJ who plays intermitent music. Here are a few of the poets I captured in action:

Khairy Malik, presenting a piece by Eldridge Knight.

The performances were mostly based on an open-mic sign-up, which is a great concept. Today I came unprepared, no poems on hand, not even in the head, so I didn't sign up to read or perform. Perhaps next time.

D. Scott in a gripping performance in a poem that "remembers" a past love.

Artist Thulani in an improvised performance which touched on "what's wrong with today's slam poetry".

Poet Latisha taking us down memory lane with one of her "old" pieces.

ImmoBme, who participated in the evening's limerick challenge.

Kimani keeping it real with performances on consciousness