The Inspired Word's 3-Year Anniversary Show Spectacular! Wed, Jan. 9!

Event management for The Inspired Word's 3-Year Anniversary Show Spectacular - Spoken Word, Poetry, Comedy, Music! powered by Eventbrite

Grammy Winner/3-Time HBO Def Poetry Star J. Ivy @ The Inspired Word

Interview with Inspired Word Host/HBO Def Poetry Star Gemineye

HBO Def Poet Bonafide Rojas & The Mona Passage + Spoken Word Poet Element 615 + Open Mic - Wed, Jan. 18

The Inspired Word presents a powerful night of poetry & music with HBO Def Poet Bonafide Rojas and The Mona Passage, an experimental art rock band that will totally knock you out.

In addition, there's special guest artist Joe Brundidge aka Element 615 (in town from Texas) and, as always, our amazing 20-slot open mic open to all types of artists (comedians, musicians, storytellers, fiction/nonfiction writers, as well as poets and spoken word artists).

Hosted by HBO Def Poetry star Gemineye.

*****

BIO:

The Mona Passage is a rock & roll art experiment formed by Poet Bonafide Rojas & Painter/Illustrator Vincent Ramirez. They have performed singularly or collectively in various venues: CBGB's, CB’s Gallery, The Pyramid, Sin-E, The Bowery Poetry Club, Otto’s Shrunken Head, Binghamton University Siberia, The Underscore, R-Bar, The Annex, The Baggot Inn, Cafe Duvall (Chicago, IL), The Green Mill (Chicago, IL), Best Buy (23rd St), The Pussycat Lounge, The Alphabet Lounge, Acentos Poetry Series, Capicu Poetry Series, Caribbean Culture Center & are currently in a year long residency at Camaradas El Barrio for Helter Skelter: (the rock&roll party). Experimental, power, noise & purpose is what pushes The Mona Passage. An experimental art rock band of Puerto Rican, Dominican musicians who challenge the status quo on what Puerto Rican & Dominican musicians should create. They are loud, brash and obnoxious - just like you. They wear their brains on their sleeves and their hearts in their pockets.



*****

Hailing from Texas, he speaks in a cadence that does not break down across barriers of race, age or geography. Soulful stanzas echoing something between Coltrane and Cyrano, Joe Brundidge aka Element 615 is unapologetically romantic, devoid of pretension, and delightfully sensual. His work promotes thought as a natural bi-product of itself, while unambiguously uniting his audience with his honest, compassionate take on the human experience. A member of the inaugural 2006 Austin Neo-Soul slam team that ranked 2nd in the nation, he's also appeared on PBS's 'In Context', YNN, ChannelAustin's EXSE Spoken Word Showcase ('09 & '10) and The Austin African American Book Festival ('08-'10). He's emceed several engagements to include showcases at the Austin International Poetry Festival, South by South West, and currently host of his own open mic, Spoken&Heard, which has been running for more than four years. He's have performed at colleges and universities, such as UT, and TX State, Huston-Tillotson, etc. He conducts workshops on writing as well as creating, hosting and maintaining an open mic. He's published 3 chapbooks and recorded 3 cds-2 EPs and a full length CD as well. Element 615 has graced many a stage in his home state of Texas, performing and hosting at poetry venues from frequent Slam performances in Austin and Killeen, His appearances on the Austin open-mic circuit are a beloved treat among local poetry fans and abroad.



*****

When: Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012

Where: 116 116 MacDougal Street (between Bleecker Street and Minetta Lane) Downstairs Lounge Manhattan, NY 10012 (212) 254-9996 (917) 703-1512

By subway, take the A, B, C, D, E, F to West 4th Street-Washington Square.

Doors open for open mic sign-up @ 6:30pm

Show starts @ 7pm

Cover Charge: $10

NO AGE LIMIT.

"The Inspired Word isn't just a series, it's a movement."

http://inspiredwordnyc.com/

The Inspired Word's 2-Year Anniversary Show - A NYC Spoken Word Extravaganza! Friday, Jan. 6

The Inspired Word's 2-Year Anniversary Show! A not-to-be-missed all-star lineup of 30 spoken word artists, poets, singers, and comedians.

Hosted by HBO Def Poetry star Gemineye and NYC spoken word legend Nathan P.

Come join us on this special night - and in our brand new venue - 116 in Greenwich Village! Formerly The Gas Light Cafe or Village Gas Light. History galore. Bob Dylan, Kerouac, Ginsberg, Bill Cosby...Now THE INSPIRED WORD!



*****

When: Friday, Jan 6, 2012

Where: 116 http://116macdougal.com/
116 MacDougal Street (between Bleecker Street and Minetta Lane) Downstairs Lounge Manhattan, NYC
Phone: (212) 254-9996
(917) 703-1512

By subway, take the A, B, C, D, E, F to West 4th Street-Washington Square.

Doors open @ 6:00pm

Show - 6:30-11:00pm

Cover Charge: $15

"The Inspired Word isn't just a series, it's a movement."

Help us keep doing what we're doing!

*****

Scheduled Performers (subject to change)

Patricia Smith
Lemon Andersen
Oveous Maximus
Regie Cabico
Vanessa Hidary
Ngoma
Jesus Papoleto Melendez
Bonafide Rojas
Erica Miriam Fabri and Robin Andre (Robin and The Lady Poet)
Big Mike
Osagyefo
Jamaal St. John
Jane LeCroy
Advocate of Wordz
Ocean Vuong
The MarXman
Simply Rob
Eliel Lucero
Jane Ormerod
Thomas Fucaloro
Sylvana Joyce + The Moment
Emanuel Xavier
David Lawton
Vince Royale
Eve Brandstein
Aimee Herman
Carolina Hidalgo
Yenny Love
Amy Leigh Cutler

HBO Def Poetry Superstar Shihan + Singer Jazz Horn, Welsh Poet Rhian & Open Mic - Thursday, Nov. 17

The Inspired Word presents HBO Def Poetry superstar Shihan + singer Jazzmeia Horn + Welsh poet Rhian + 15-slot open mic open to all kinds of artists.

Hosted by Def Poet Gemineye.
*****
Shihan is undoubtedly one of the most dynamic spoken word artists of our generation. He made seven appearances on HBO Def Poetry and is the first and only poet to have a poem named “Download of the Week” on iTunes. He was the National Poetry Slam Champion, twice National Poetry Slam Finalist, and has been featured on a variety of media outlets, including NBC, Oprah Winfrey's Oxygen Network, Al Gore's Current TV, Nike Battlegrounds, Reebok, Adidas, NBA, CNN, Artisan Films Belly DVD, Complex, Billboard Magazine, several national commercial spots, five national tours (including the Tony Award Winning Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry Jam International Tour) and two upcoming Spoken Word documentaries (SP!T and the sequel to the 1997 cult doc Slam Nation, Slam Planet). His ability to transcend cultural and generational boundaries has made Shihan a much-sought-after talent.







With a name like Jazzmeia Horn, she was obviously born to be a songstress in the great tradition of America's classic music, a throwback to the days of Ella and Lena and Nina and Billie. With a voice so irresistibly smooth and grounded in the utmost respect for the vocabulary of the song, she'll take you on a luscious journey down memory lane. "I approach a song with moral and reasonable certitude that lies within my voice," she says. She has performed at such notable New York City jazz clubs as Fat Cat, Miles' Cafe, and Dizzy's, and has been a Downbeat award-winning vocalist three years in a row. For more info, please visit http://www.theartistryofjazzhorn.com/.



Rhian is a poet, singer and songwriter. Her first collection of poems Clueless Dogs is due to be published by Seren in February 2012. Rhian's pamphlet Parade the Fib, (Tall-Lighthouse), was awarded the Poetry Book Society Choice for autumn 2008. Rhian has been published in the Times Literary Supplement, Poetry Review, Arete, Stand Magazine, the Spectator, Poetry London, Poetry Wales, Planet and the London Magazine.


*****
When: Thursday, Nov. 17, 2011

Where: One and One Bar & Restaurant (downstairs Nexus Lounge) 76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue) Manhattan, NYC Phone:(917) 703-1512

Doors open for open mic sign-up @ 6:30pm

Show starts @ 7pm

Cover Charge: $10

NO AGE LIMIT.

Please join us on Tuesday nights as well for our all-open mic nights! Same time, same place!

Videos - HBO Def Poetry Star Beau Sia @ The Inspired Word

HBO Def Poetry Star Beau Sia @ Mike Geffner Presents The Inspired Word, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011, One and One Bar/Restaurant, Nexus Lounge, Manhattan, NYC. Hosted by Gemineye.

Spoken word poet Beau Sia has toured Europe and the U.S. and was one of the true superstars on HBO Def Poetry. He authored the poetry book A Night Without Armor II: The Revenge as well as the spoken word CD's Attack! Attack! Go! and Dope and Wack. His work also appears in numerous anthologies including Bum Rush the Page: A Def Poetry Jam, and he has appeared in several documentary films, Slamnation, Slam, and Race is the Place. He was featured in the 2000 ESPN X Games and on Hardball with Chris Matthews, Last Call with Carson Daly, Showtime at the Apollo, The Today Show, and The Tony Awards. His film career expanded to include Hitch, with Will Smith, and The Manchurian Candidate, with Denzel Washington. He is one of the original cast members in Def Poetry Jam on Broadway, a 2003 Special Event Tony Award Winner.

This event was funded in part by Poets & Writers, Inc. with public funds from New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

Videos - HBO Def Poetry Star Oveous Maximus @ The Inspired Word

HBO Def Poetry Star Oveous Maximus @ Mike Geffner Presents The Inspired Word, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011, One and One Bar/Restaurant, Nexus Lounge, Manhattan, NYC. Hosted by Gemineye.

Oveous Maximus is a recording artist who fooled everyone into believing he was a poet. He grew up in the Bronx and Washington Heights exposed to the richness of jazz, soul, hip hop, and Afro Latin music. An honorary member of the world-famous Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Oveous shares his own brand of "rap & spoken word." He became a National Poetry slam finalist three years in a row, is a multiple time winner at the Apollo Theater, has performed on the hit series HBO Def Poetry, starred in the film SP!T, and has recorded music with Grammy Award winner Louie Vega. Has released two critically acclaimed albums and is about to release his 3rd studio album, which he wrote and produced entirely himself. For more info, please visit http://oveous.blogspot.com/.

Videographer: Denise Goins http://www.denisegoins.com/

2 Videos: Poets Joaquín Zihuatanejo & Natasha Carrizosa @ The Inspired Word

Poets Joaquín Zihuatanejo & Natasha Carrizosa @ Mike Geffner Presents The Inspired Word, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2011, One and One Bar/Restaurant, Nexus Lounge, Manhattan, NYC. Hosted by Theresa Poetresse Robbinson.

Natasha Carrizosa is a mother, a dreamer, and a lover of music and life. She is a poet/spoken word artist who celebrates her dual heritage (African- and Mexican-American) with works that weave an intoxicating blend of cultures, languages and impressions. She has shared the stage with Maya Angelou, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, E. Lynn Harris and countless other poets, authors, and artists. Her writings have been featured in Rhapsody, Her Mark, and x magazine (United Kingdom.) She is the author of mejiafricana, a spoken word CD and nude -- a collection of love and erotic poems. She recently recorded her second spoken word CD -- the dreamcatcher. In 2008 she collaborated with Joaquín Zihuatanejo on of fire and rain - a spoken word CD that is a testimony of life/love that spans from the barrios of East Dallas to the ghettos of the west indies. Selections from of fire and rain were published by Poetry in Motion, and organization that promotes the work of young American poets by publishing their work alongside the work of masters from the past on trains, subways, and buses across The United States. Natasha is the 2010 Austin International Poetry Slam Champion and one of two American poets (Joaquín Zihuatanejo, below, is the other) chosen to represent The United States at El Proyecto Poesia Slam 2010 in Madrid, Spain.

Joaquín Zihuatanejo is a father, husband, poet, and award-winning teacher. In his work he strives to capture the duality of the Chicano culture - the conquered and the conqueror, the Pagan and the Christian, the earth and the sky all find refuge in his voice. He has shared a stage with Maya Angelou, Billy Collins, E. Lynn Harris, Saul Williams, and Alicia Keys among others. He appeared on HBO Def Poetry in 2005 and is the author of Barrio Songs and co-author, along with Natasha Carrizosa, of the collection of poems of fire and rain. Joaquin has recorded seven spoken word CDs, Barrio Songs, Stand Up and Be Heard, Live at Longwood, of fire and rain, a spoken word collaboration with Natasha Carrizosa, Child of the Hood Days, HOPE 5 MILES, and Barbaric Yawps: Best of Joaquín Zihuatanejo. He is the winner of the 2008 Individual World Poetry Slam Championship and the 2009 European World Cup of Poetry Slam Championship held in Paris, France making him the number one ranked slam poet in the world on both sides of the Atlantic in the same year. He was recently awarded the Artist in Residence Award by the National Hispanic Cultural Center and will spend most of the summer writing and teaching at the NHCC in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The two passions in his life are his wife Aída and poetry - always in that order.

This event was funded in part by Poets & Writers, Inc. with public funds from New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

Videographer: Denise Goins http://www.denisegoins.com/

Poet Aimee Herman @ The Inspired Word - Manhattan, NYC

Poet Aimee Herman @ Mike Geffner Presents The Inspired Word, Thursday, June 30, 2011 @ One and One Bar/Restaurant, Nexus Lounge, Manhattan, NYC. Hosted by Gemineye.

Aimee Herman is a performance poet who has been featured at various NYC reading series including In the Flesh Erotic Salon, Hyper Gender, Sideshow: Queer Lit Carnival, and Red Umbrella Diaries. She can be read in anthologies such as: Best American Erotica 2010 (Cleis Press), Nice Girls, Naughty Sex (Seal), hell strung and crooked (Uphook Press), and Focus on the Fabulous: Colorado GLBT Voices. Beyond poetry, Aimee edits erotica for Oysters & Chocolate and also has a column called: notes from a dirty young woman. She is deeply inspired by Charles Bukowski, gender deconstructors, and alphabetized book shelves. She can next be seen at the HOTT festival in July at Dixon Place.

The Inspired Word is New York City's hottest new spoken word poetry open mic series happening every Tuesday and Thursday night in downtown Manhattan, produced by longtime journalist and former Village Voice columnist Mike Geffner and hosted by HBO Def Poetry star Gemineye and the NYC spoken word legend Nathan P.

Pics - Poet Beau Sia @ The Inspired Word in New York City

HBO Def Poetry superstar Beau Sia @ Mike Geffner Presents The Inspired Word Sept. 22, 2011 One and One Bar/Restaurant, Nexus Lounge Manhattan, New York City

Photos By: Raymond Hamlin

Oveous Maximus Headlines! + Writer Stephen A. Dantes & Open Mic - Thursday, Sept. 29

The Inspired Word presents the utterly electric spoken word artist/HBO Def Poet/musician Oveous Maximus, plus special guest author/poet Stephen A. Dantes and a 15-slot open mic open to all types of artists. Hosted by 3-time HBO Def Poetry star Gemineye.

*****

BIO:

Oveous Maximus is a recording artist who fooled everyone into believing he was a poet. He grew up in the Bronx and Washington Heights exposed to the richness of jazz, soul, hip hop, and Afro Latin music. An honorary member of the world-famous Nuyorican Poets Cafe, Oveous shares his own brand of "rap and spoken word." He became a National Poetry slam finalist three years in a row, is a multiple time winner at the Apollo Theater, has performed on the hit series HBO Def Poetry, starred in the film SP!T, and has recorded music with Grammy Award winner Louie Vega. Has released two critically acclaimed albums and is about to release his 3rd studio album, which he wrote and produced entirely himself.



*****

Stephen Alexander Dantes is a prolific writer with seven published titles to his name - four digital, three paperback - and is due to release two more titles before the end of the year, one of them his first romance novel. The 28-year-old St. Lucian-born author/poet and certified Mathematics teacher holds the title of “Voice of the Youth” in his homeland as well as the recipient of the "Most Requested Guest Performer," awarded by the St. Lucia Writer's Forum. Coming from an island that boasts two Nobel Laureates, one of them – Derek Walcott, the winner of Nobel Prize for literature - Stephen resigned from his teaching profession to embark on his quest to take his own poetry to the world. For more info, please visit http://www.stephendantes.net/.



*****

When: Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011

Where: One and One Bar/Restaurant (downstairs Nexus Lounge)
76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
Manhattan, NYC

Phone: (917) 703-1512

Doors open for open mic sign-up @ 6:30pm Show starts @ 7pm

Cover Charge: $10

NO AGE LIMIT.

Please join us on Tuesday nights as well for our all-open mic nights! Same time, same place!

HBO Def Poetry Superstar Beau Sia Headlines + People With Teeth + Open Mic - Thursday, Sept. 22

The Inspired Word presents HBO Def Poetry superstar Beau Sia + the hip-hop/punk group People With Teeth +15-slot open mic open to all kinds of artists.

Hosted by another Def Poet, Gemineye.

*****

BIOS:

Spoken word poet Beau Sia has toured Europe and the U.S. and was one of the true superstars on HBO Def Poetry. He authored the poetry book A Night Without Armor II: The Revenge as well as the spoken word CD's Attack! Attack! Go! and Dope and Wack. His work also appears in numerous anthologies including Bum Rush the Page: A Def Poetry Jam, and he has appeared in several documentary films, Slamnation, Slam, and Race is the Place. He was featured in the 2000 ESPN X Games and on Hardball with Chris Matthews, Last Call with Carson Daly, Showtime at the Apollo, The Today Show, and The Tony Awards. His film career expanded to include Hitch, with Will Smith, and The Manchurian Candidate, with Denzel Washington. He is one of the original cast members in Def Poetry Jam on Broadway, a 2003 Special Event Tony Award Winner.

****

People With Teeth is a hip-hop/punk outfit based out of Brooklyn, NY. Signature songs like "Glenn Beck is Dead" have earned the group a reputation as an aggressive, satirically political trio combining hip-hop music with punk attitude and spoken word elements. Comprised of accomplished spoken word artists, emcees and performers, People With Teeth has made a splash in certain NYC hip-hop, spoken word and comedy circles as a daring, eclectic and wildly fun collective.

*****

This event was funded in part by Poets & Writers, Inc. with public funds from New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.
*****
When: Thursday, Sept 22, 2011

Where: One and One Bar & Restaurant (downstairs Nexus Lounge)
76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
Manhattan, NYC
Phone: (917) 703-1512

Doors open for open mic sign-up @ 6:30pm

Show starts @ 7:30

Cover Charge: $10

NO AGE LIMIT.

"The Inspired Word isn't just a series, it's a movement."

*****

And please join us for our Tuesday Night Open Mic Joint - same time, same place!

HBO Def Poet Joaquín Zihuatanejo & Austin Slam Champion Natasha Carrizosa + Open Mic - Thurday, Sept. 15

Mike Geffner Presents The Inspired Word proudly features HBO Def Poet Joaquín Zihuatanejo and Austin Slam Champion Natasha Carrizosa + 15 slot open mic open to all types of artists.

Hosted by 3-time HBO Def Poetry star Gemineye.



****

BIOS:

Natasha Carrizosa is a mother, a dreamer, and a lover of music and life. She is a poet/spoken word artist who celebrates her dual heritage (African- and Mexican-American) with works that weave an intoxicating blend of cultures, languages and impressions. She has shared the stage with Maya Angelou, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, E. Lynn Harris and countless other poets, authors, and artists. Her writings have been featured in Rhapsody, Her Mark, and x magazine (United Kingdom.) She is the author of mejiafricana, a spoken word CD and nude – a collection of love and erotic poems. She recently recorded her second spoken word CD – the dreamcatcher. In 2008 she collaborated with Joaquín Zihuatanejo on of fire and rain - a spoken word CD that is a testimony of life/love that spans from the barrios of East Dallas to the ghettos of the west indies. Selections from of fire and rain were published by Poetry in Motion, and organization that promotes the work of young American poets by publishing their work alongside the work of masters from the past on trains, subways, and buses across The United States. Natasha is the 2010 Austin International Poetry Slam Champion and one of two American poets (Joaquín Zihuatanejo, below, is the other) chosen to represent The United States at El Proyecto Poesia Slam 2010 in Madrid, Spain.



Joaquín Zihuatanejo is a father, husband, poet, and award-winning teacher. In his work he strives to capture the duality of the Chicano culture - the conquered and the conqueror, the Pagan and the Christian, the earth and the sky all find refuge in his voice. He has shared a stage with Maya Angelou, Billy Collins, E. Lynn Harris, Saul Williams, and Alicia Keys among others. He appeared on HBO Def Poetry in 2005 and is the author of Barrio Songs and co-author, along with Natasha Carrizosa, of the collection of poems of fire and rain. Joaquin has recorded seven spoken word CDs, Barrio Songs, Stand Up and Be Heard, Live at Longwood, of fire and rain, a spoken word collaboration with Natasha Carrizosa, Child of the Hood Days, HOPE 5 MILES, and Barbaric Yawps: Best of Joaquín Zihuatanejo. He is the winner of the 2008 Individual World Poetry Slam Championship and the 2009 European World Cup of Poetry Slam Championship held in Paris, France making him the number one ranked slam poet in the world on both sides of the Atlantic in the same year. He was recently awarded the Artist in Residence Award by the National Hispanic Cultural Center and will spend most of the summer writing and teaching at the NHCC in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The two passions in his life are his wife Aída and poetry - always in that order.



*****

This event was funded in part by Poets & Writers, Inc. with public funds from New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

*****

When: Thursday, Sept 15, 2011

Where: One and One Bar & Restaurant (downstairs Nexus Lounge)
76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
Manhattan, NYC
Phone: (917) 703-1512

Doors Open for open mic sign-up @ 6:30pm

Showtime @ 7pm

Cover Charge: $10

NO AGE LIMIT.

"The Inspired Word isn't just a series, it's a movement."

*****

Please join us for our Tuesday Night Open Mic Joint - same time, same place!

4-Time HBO Def Poet Kevin Coval on L-vis Lives! Book Tour + Singer NaJah Lewis + Open Mic - Thursday, Sept. 1

Mike Geffner Presents The Inspired Word features 4-time HBO Def Poetry star Kevin Coval celebrating the September release of his book, L-vis Lives: Racemusic Poems.

In addition to Kevin, we have special guest 17-year-old singer/songwriter/guitarist NaJah Lewis + a 15-slot open mic open to ALL types of artists.

Hosted by 3-time Def Poet Gemineye.

*****

Kevin Coval is the author of ALA “Book of the Year” finalist Slingshots: A Hip-Hop Poetica, a collection titled Everyday People, and L-Vis Lives: Racemusic Poems (forthcoming). He is co-founder and Artistic Director of Louder Than a Bomb: The Chicago Teen Poetry Festival, subject of an award-winning documentary of the same name, premiering on the Oprah Winfrey Network October 2011. A regular contributor to Chicago Public Radio, and a four-time HBO Def Poet, Coval teaches at the School of the Art Institute and in high schools around Chicago.



L-vis Lives! is a bold new collection of poetry and prose exploring the collision of race, art, and appropriation in hip hop culture. L-vis is an imagined persona: a representation of artists who have used and misused Black music. Like so many others who gained fame and fortune from their sampling, L-vis is as much a sincere artist as he is a thief. In Kevin Coval's poems, L-vis' story is equal parts autobiography, forgotten history, and re-imaginings. We see shades of Elvis Presley, the Beastie Boys, and Eminem, and meet some of history's more obscure “whiteboy” heroes and anti-heroes: legendary breakdancers, political activists, and music impresarios. A story of both artistic theft and radical invention, L-vis Lives! is a poetic novella on all of the possibilities and problems of “post-racial” American culture.

You can order the book through this link - http://www.haymarketbooks.org/pb/L-vis-Lives

*****

Props for L-vis Lives!

"...part social aesthetic-activist determined to continue the Unfinished, Collected Works of John Brown, Coval has proven, at a time when many poets use metaphor and restraint to tiptoe around the tough issues of identity and borrowed race, that most L-vises have Souls."
—Thomas Sayers Ellis, author, Skin, Inc.: Identity Repair Poems

“Nothing like it has ever been written. No one really talks about these white men of color. No one considers their origins or the source of their craving. No one has bothered to label this pursuit of Blackness a meaningful tribute or a persistent dysfunction. L-vis Lives! is a cultural touchstone, a book that will easily move into a space that’s been waiting for much too long.”
—Patricia Smith, author, Blood Dazzler, finalist for the National Book Award

"Tough and smart, real and surreal, aching and funny, in-the-tradition and startlingly original, the trials of L-Vis show us the challenges of giving up on whiteness--a process at once monumentally hard, too easy, and absolutely necessary."
—David Roediger, author, How Race Survived U.S. History

*****

Born in Detroit but moving to New York City to pursue a musical career, NaJah Lewis is a 17-year-old singer/songwriter/guitarist who recently won first place in a talent search competition. She has performed at the Thalia Cafe/Symphony Space, Lenox Lounge, Brooklyn Nights, Electric Relaxation, and Knaps. She was the youngest vocalist selected to perform as part of the Women in Jazz Showcase at this year's International Arts Festival.



*****
When: Thursday, Sept 1, 2011

Where: One and One Bar & Restaurant (downstairs Nexus Lounge)
76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
Manhattan, NYC
Phone: (917) 703-1512
Doors open for open mic sign-up @ 6:30pm
Showtime @ 7pm

Cover Charge: $10

NO AGE LIMIT!

Actor Rock Wilk + Poet E. Amato + The Truth Urban Theater Group + Open Mic - Thursday, Aug. 18

The Inspired Word presents actor/playwright/poet Rock Wilk and The Truth Urban Theater Group + special guest poet E. Amato + 15-slot open mic open to all kinds of artists

Hosted by 3-time HBO Def Poetry star Gemineye.

*****

ARTIST BIOS:

An actor, a playwright and a poet, New York City's own Rock Wilk is also a socially and politically charged vocalist and an accomplished multi-instrumentalist. He creates all of this art while riding the subways of NYC. Along with being a Nuyorican Poet's semifinalist and 2010 runoffs qualifier for The Nuyorican's national team, Rock also was recently a featured performer for Amnesty International at an event for human rights.

He has worked as a studio and touring background vocalist for many years, most recently singing with the legendary Patti LaBelle and contributing vocal and horn arrangements to the Grammy Award winning Les Paul compilation album, LES PAUL AND FRIENDS. Rock's music can also be heard on such TV shows as MTV's "The Real World" and "Making The Band," among others.

He is currently developing his play, BROKE WIDE OPEN, a one person show, which was presented in July of 2010 at undergroundzero, as part of the Playgroundzero Festival at PS 122 in Manhattan. In September of 2010, BROKE WIDE OPEN was also mounted as a 3 week, 12 performance workshop at The Medicine Show Theatre, also in NYC. Rock is currently touring BROKE WIDE OPEN all over the United States. BROKE WIDE OPEN will also be presented as part of The Camden Fringe Festival in London, England, in August of 2011.

For more info on Rock, please visit http://www.brokewideopen.c​om/home.html.



The Truth Urban Theater Group, a youth/young adult theater organization based out of Long Island, New York, takes the audience on an emotional journey with a riveting performance using poetry, music and drama. Their passion has earned them the National NAACP-ACT-SO Gold medal, a headline spot at the Nuyorican poets cafe and countless invitations to perform at colleges, festivals and state functions. For more more, please visit http://www.thetruthplay.we​bs.com/.



E. Amato is privileged to perform her words around the world. Her first poetry collection, Swimming Through Amber, was published in 2010 by Zesty Pubs. In 2011, she competed as a storm poet at WOWps and is a member of the Los Angeles Slam Team. Down Home, her performance venue, made its international debut at the Festival Fringe in Edinburgh in 2007, earning 5 star reviews 2 years in a row. She was an Associate Coordinator for Youthspeaks’ Brave New Voices in 2004 as well as coach of the beloved Peace4Kids team.



*****

When: Thursday, Aug. 18, 2011

Where: One and One Bar & Restaurant (downstairs Nexus Lounge)
76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
Manhattan, NYC
Phone: (917) 703-1512

Doors open for open mic sign-up @ 6:30pm

Show starts @ 7pm

Cover Charge: $10

NO AGE LIMIT.

Please join us on Tuesday nights as well for our all-open mic nights! Same time, same place!

Poet Thomas Fucaloro & :Kiss*Punch*Poem: + Special Guest Diana Arnold + Open Mic - Thursday, Aug. 11

The Inspired Word presents one of our most unique events ever - featuring in a single set one-of-a-kind poet Thomas Fucaloro with the improv comedy stylings of :Kiss*Punch*Poem:

Fucaloro will be reading his poems as the improvisers (Meghann Plunkett, Alex Marino, Paul Barker, and Nathan Peterman). act them out. Which begs the question: Is this an improv show inspired by poetry or poetry inspired by improv?

In addition to Fucaloro and company, there will be a 12-slot open mic open to all types of artists and a special guest performance by one-woman-show sensation Diana Arnold, who will be doing a new piece celebrating her 10-year anniversary in New York City.

Hosted by 3-time HBO Def Poetry star Gemineye.

*****

When: Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011

Where: One and One Bar & Restaurant (downstairs Nexus Lounge)
76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
Manhattan, NYC
Phone: (917) 703-1512

Doors open for open mic sign-up @ 6:30pm

Show starts @ 7:30

Cover Charge: $10

NO AGE LIMIT.

*****

BIOS:

Thomas Fucaloro is a New York-based poet and one of the most original poetic voice you'll ever find. He is an editor at Uphook Press and authored the much-lauded book of poetry called "Inheriting Craziness is like a Soft Halo of Light."



Diana Arnold is an actress who starred in her own one woman show 86'd, which explored the world of a New York City waitress. In complicated poetic verse, both poignant and comedic, she told her story about a life with a father living with Cerebral Palsy and how restaurants saved her life.



*****

"The Inspired Word isn't just a series, it's a movement."

*****

And please join us for our Tuesday Night Open Mic Joint - same time, same place!

Actor/Playwright/HBO Def Poet Brian Dykstra Headlines + Special Guests + Open Mic - Thursday, July 28

Mike Geffner Presents The Inspired Word proudly features one of the most original performing artists on the planet - actor/poet/playwright Brian Dykstra.

Opening for Dykstra will be San Francisco writer/musician/filmmaker Jesús Ángel García and London spoken word artist Talia Randall.

There will also be a 15-slot open mic open to all types of artists.

BIOS:

Brian Dykstra is a poet, playwright, and actor. He is probably the only person (other than Mos Def) to have appeared on an episode of Chappelle's Show and HBO Def Poetry in the same season. Currently he's writing a Hip Hop play that is actually written using the language of Hip Hop about how easy it is to sell out, even when the topic is race. He's about to run off and play the artist Mark Rothko in the play "Red" for three months in Cincinnati and St. Louis. He is a two time star poet of the Spoken Word Almanac Project. He lives in New York City with his amazing wife. For more info, please visit http://www.briandykstra.net/.







Jesús Ángel García is a writer, musician and filmmaker based in San Francisco. His debut (transmedia) novel, badbadbad, is available as an old-school book on real live paper, a CD of songs derived from the narrative and a DVD documentary film based on the novel’s themes of fear, hypocrisy, sexual morality, intimacy in e-culture and self-destruction v. redemption. His fiction has appeared in Monkeybicycle, 3:AM Magazine, HTML Giant and other literary venues. His non-fiction has been published in The Faster Times, Vol. 1 Brooklyn and Electric Literature’s The Outlet, where he’s a regular contributor. His work has also been featured in podcasts at Inside Higher Ed (Radio Free AWP), Orange Alert and Dr. Dick’s Sex Wisdom. More info and lit-audio-video samples may be found at http://www.badbadbad.net/.



Talia Randall is a spoken word artist who writes about, cigarette buts, chicken bones, pigeons, estate agents, old school trainers, old school days, strangers on trains, drunken encounters, her dad's record collection and bus journeys. Born and bred in London, she works solo and with two collectives, Rubix (http://rubixcollective.blogspot.com/) based at the legendary Roundhouse (http://roundhouse.org.uk/) and Show Don’t Tell (http://timeplacestory.tumblr.com/) and independent storytelling collective. She has performed and shown work at some of London's leading venues such as Battersea Arts Centre, The Roundhouse and The Whitechapel Gallery. For more info, please visit http://www.taliarandall.com/.



*****

When: Thursday, July 28, 2011

Where: One and One Bar & Restaurant (downstairs Nexus Lounge)
76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
Manhattan, NYC
Phone: (917) 703-1512

Doors Open for open mic sign-up @ 6:30pm

Showtime @ 7:30pm

Cover Charge: $10

NO AGE LIMIT.

"The Inspired Word isn't just a series, it's a movement."

*****

And please join us for our Tuesday Night Open Mic Joint - same time, same place!

John Fugelsang - The Unholy Experiment + Open Mic - Thursday, July 14

The Inspired Word Presents John Fugelsang - The Unholy Experiment + a 12-slot open mic open to all kinds of artists + NYC spoken word legend Nathan P., comedian Carolina Hidalgo, and special guests writer/artist/producer/director Eve Brandstein and novelist Marcus Sakey.

Hosted by 3-time HBO Def Poetry star Gemineye.

*****

BIO:

John Fugelsang is an actor, comedian, writer, spoken-word performer & political satirist with one of the most eclectic resumes in the business. His mother is an ex-Nun and his father was a Franciscan Brother. His Drama-League Nominated Off-Broadway solo show “ALL THE WRONG REASONS” was based on their love story & he was named “Outstanding NY Monologist” by MAC at Lincoln Center.

He interviewed Paul McCartney in London, and George Harrison in New York – in the same week; he appeared on “CSI,” “Providence” and in the films “Coyote Ugly” and “Somewhere in the City”; he’s been featured on CNN, Fox News, PBS, Air America, CNBC and is a regular on HLN's “The Joy Behar Show.” He even hosted “America's Funniest Home Videos” and “Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.”

He's currently performing across the country with “The Stephanie Miller Sexy Liberal Comedy Tour'' and recently shot the independent feature “Price Check” with Parker Posey. He's delighted to perform this very special show with The Inspired Word.

What they say about John:

"One of my favorite comedians" - Bill Maher

"Fugelsang has the soul of an Iconoclast." - The New Yorker

“A Rapier Wit” – The Hollywood Reporter



*****

Other Artist BIOS:

Besides being a poet, Eve Brandstein has been a major studio and network executive, a producer, a film and theater director, writer/creator, and casting director. She is also an artist, teacher and workshop facilitator, who has led writing and performance groups. Her poetry appears in national publications and she is one of the organizers of the celebrated reading series – Poetry In Motion, launched in 1988 with fellow poet, Michael Lally. Eve is once again producing Poetry in Motion as a monthly series at the venerated home of Los Angeles poetry, Beyond Baroque. She is a publisher of The Hollywood Review an anthology of L.A. poets and also the author of “The Actor – A Practical Guide to a Professional Career” plus has published several collections and anthologies of poetry chapbooks. Recently she co-produced and co-directed 13 episodes of "John Waters Presents Movies That Will Corrupt You.” Currently she directed the premiere of Revisiting Wildfire which is at the Odyssey Theater., LA. As an accomplished artist her work is shown at TAG Gallery at Bergamot Station, Los Angeles. Her next poetry collection will be published and distributed by Zeitgeist Press. For more info on Ms. Brandstein, please visit evebrandsteinproductions.com.



Marcus Sakey is a bestselling novelist born in Flint, Michigan, and now living in Chicago. Before becoming a writer, Sakey used to run a graphic design company in Atlanta. He writes crime novels set in the blue collar world of the south side of Chicago. To conduct research for his plots, he has shadowed homicide detectives and gang cops, toured the morgue, gone shooting with Special Forces soldiers, and learned to pick a deadbolt. His debut novel, The Blade Itself, was featured on CBS Sunday Morning, NPR, and as a New York Times Editor's Pick, as well as named one of Esquire Magazine's 5 Best Reads of 2007. Ben Affleck’s production company bought the film rights to The Blade Itself in 2008 for Miramax. The Chicago Tribune called his second novel, At the City’s Edge, “nothing short of brilliant.” And his third novel, Good People, came out to wide critical acclaim, with the movie rights selling to Tobey Maguire.



Stepping to the stage in his trademark suit, cufflinks and fedora style hat, poet Nathan P. became the poster child of style, grace and class on the slam circuit in early 2000. With a voice that resonates bass, the sound of his words were as captivating as his words themselves. This talent and stage presence enabled him to become a Nuyorican Grand Slam Finalist in his very first year on the circuit. He ultimately became the host at the Nuyorican Poets Café for seven years. He's been in two off-Broadway productions: "Be Beautiful" and "An Evolution in Reinvention," produced two books of poetry: "Madness" and "The Colors of My Mind," appeared on numerous CDs, most notably his solo project "Chalklines on Black Asphalt." He is host of The Inspired Word's Tuesday Night Open Mic Joint.



Carolina Hidalgo is a New York City comedian and the host of Killer Comedy at Stand Up NY Comedy Club and Angels and Kings.

*****

When: Thursday, July 14, 2011

Where: One and One Bar & Restaurant (downstairs Nexus Lounge)
76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
Manhattan, NYC
Phone: (917) 703-1512

Doors open for open mic sign-up @ 6:30pm

Show starts @ 7:30

Cover Charge: $10

NO AGE LIMIT.

Poets Nathan P. & Tantra-zawadi + Special Guest HBO Def Poet Regie Cabico + Open Mic - Thursday, June 23

Mike Geffner Presents The Inspired Word features two of the legendary spoken word poets on the New York City scene - Nathan P. (making his first feature performance in 5 years!) and Tantra-zawadi - and special guest appearances by HBO Def Poetry star Regie Cabico and two of Manchester, England's best slammers, Rod Tame and Dominic Berry.

If that weren't enough, you also get one of the most awesome open mics you'll find anywhere (15 slots open not only to poets and spoken word artists but fiction/nonfiction writers, comedians, monologists, singers, and musicians).

Hosted by 3-time Def Poetry star Gemineye.

*****

ARTIST BIOS:

Soulful and sublime, the poetry of Tantra-zawadi explores love in all its forms; from the rush of the first kiss to the bittersweet. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Tantra uses her voice to support the empowerment of women and has performed at venues as far away as South Africa, London, Germany and Toronto. She is a 2010 Pushcart Prize Nominee for her poem"Girl,"and a recipient of the Kings County District Attorney's Office Women’s History Month Award for her artistic contributions to the borough of Brooklyn. Tantra, who is a mentor for Girl-Child Network Worldwide (GCN), is donating partial proceeds from her latest book of poetry “Gathered at Her Sky” (PWP Books) to GCN. She is also the author of “alifepoeminprogress” and her poetry has appeared in Essence Magazine. Known for being on the cutting edge as an artist and for speaking out about issues such as HIV and AIDS awareness, Tantra’s poem and video “Scarlet Waters,” was featured on the Product(RED) video wall and her short documentary, “A Silent Genocide ~ A Brief Insight into HIV/AIDS” takes another look at the impact of this disease.



Stepping to the stage in his trademark suit, cufflinks and fedora style hat, poet Nathan P. became the poster child of style, grace and class on the slam circuit in early 2000. With a voice that resonates bass, the sound of his words were as captivating as his words themselves. This talent and stage presence enabled him to become a Nuyorican Grand Slam Finalist in his very first year on the circuit. He ultimately became the host at the Nuyorican Poets Café for seven years. He's been in two off-Broadway productions: “Be Beautiful” and “An Evolution in Reinvention,” produced two books of poetry: “Madness” and “The Colors of My Mind," appeared on numerous CD’s, most notably his solo project “Chalklines on Black Asphalt." He is host of The Inspired Word’s Tuesday Night Open Mic Joint.



*****

Special Guests:

Regie Cabico



Rod Tame



Dominic Berry





When: Thursday, June 23, 2011

Where: One and One Bar & Restaurant (downstairs Nexus Lounge)
76 East 1st Street (corner of 1st Avenue)
Manhattan, NYC
Phone: (917) 703-1512
Doors open for open mic sign-up @ 6:30pm
Showtime @ 7:30pm

Cover Charge: $10

NO AGE LIMIT!