On Saturday, June 28, 2003 at 2:00 p.m. at KINKS International, 629 15th Street, V.S. Chochezi and Staajabu, producers and hosts of the ten year long poetry series Poetry On A Saturday Afternoon, welcomed the audience with their original multi-expression, multiethnic, multilingual greeting for the last time.
“It’s hard to believe that ten years have gone by since we began doing the series,” said Staajabu. “Back then Carol’s Books was located on Freeport Boulevard. We started out with a reading every Saturday for two years, then went to the once-a-month format. We are extremely grateful for the many poets and audience members that made Poetry On A Saturday Afternoon such a success and so much fun. POSA has been more than a reading, it’s been a community gathering where we would highlight local poets, then have community announcements. We gave people in the audience an opportunity to talk about their professions and we acknowledged people from out of town. We kept people informed on the status of various political prisoners such as Mumia Abu-Jamal and the MOVE Family Africa. We gave the poets a little something, gave away door prizes, had healthy refreshments and it was always free to the public.
We did this with our own money except for the past two years where we received a small grant from the Sacramento Metropolitan Art Commission.”
V.S. Chochezi, co-producer and co-moderator of the series stated, “It has been a true honor to host POSA alongside my mother Staajabu for 10 years. For 10 years, we were honored and inspired by some great aspiring and established poets. It was a wonderful experience to coordinate a free forum for the community, where children, elders, teens and adults of all ages could interact, express and appreciate one another. Audience and presenters always gave so much love and support to our series. It has made Sacramento a lively and welcoming home.”
> > The public turned out for the close-out celebration which was a festive occasion with all open mic, community announcements, refreshments, a Mumia update, the famous “know your peeps” game for door prizes and even a story or two from griot Idu Maduli.
For more information: Staajabu 916-452-1290
Series highlights
FREE FREE FREE!
Last Saturday of every month
2-4 p.m.
at KINKS International
15th and G Sts.
" Straight Out Scribes to celebrate 10th season of Poetry On A Saturday Afternoon"
"Poetry On A Saturday Afternoon" at KNKS International, 15th & G STS., will begin it's 10th season on Saturday, September 28, with Vince Kobelt from St. Elmo's Village in Los Angeles. POSA is the only regular, day time, family oriented poetry series in Sacramento where the readers who take the stage are asked to choose selections suitable for a general audience. POSA is also the longest running poetry reading in Sacramento and has been continuous since 1993. This monthly reading at Sacramento's oldest family-owned African-American Bookstore, begins at 2 p.m. sharp with the feature. At 3pm, there is community announcements, door prizes, an update on the case of political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal and open mic. Admission is free, refreshments are served and children and elders are welcome and encouraged to attend. The series is produced. coordinated and moderated by mother/daughter poets, Straight Out Scribes, V.S. Chochezi and Staajabu.
The 2002/2003 schedule includes:
September 28, Vince Kobelt, writer, poet, artist from St. Elmo's Village, Los Angeles
October 26, Angela Boyce, poet, writer, host of Mahogany poetry series at Jamaica Restaurant
November 30, Mischwa, director of Kucheza Ngoma II Dance Company and Angelajjames, poet, storyteller
December 21, Felecia McGee, poet, vocalist and host of First Saturday poetry series at Matrix gallery
POSA continues
January 25, 2003, Joe Montoya, poet, writer, host of Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe for 5 years.
February 22, Angelo Antwone Williams, poet, writer, journalist, producer of the Blue Room poetry series, the Chocolate Chunk Funk Festival, the Brown Sugar Cypher and now co-hosting with Cornel West at the PoHop poetry series at Boston Cheers, Franklin off Broadway
March 29, Reginald Lockett, Oakland poet, writer, professor at Cal State San Jose
April 26, Guy Ollison, poet, writer and one of the orginal organizers of the Davis Sugar Shack
May 31, Jack Forbes, professor emeritus
June 28, "From the Sistas to the Brothas" - All Open Mic, final/closing session of Poetry On a Saturday Afternoon
For more information, Straight Out Scribes - 916-452-1290 or straightoutscribes@yahoo.com.
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