Birmingham Bards & Brews

On the first Friday of every month (except December) something exciting takes place at the Birmingham Public Library.  It's a gathering of local poets and artists and it offers the public a chance to hear a word for our time.  

Last Friday night we heard poets young and old speaking from their heart about life, the world, and the times. We heard reflections about relationships (familial, romantic, and spiritual). We heard rhyme, free verse, rap and slam poetry as people gave voice to their own experiences of life.

Here is how the event was presented on Bards & Brews Facebook Events site:

About Bards & Brews:

The Birmingham Public Library is hosting a series of poetry slams and open mic nights. Sign up and music begins at 6:30 p.m. and call time is 7:00 p.m. at the host location. Typically held on the first Friday of each month, each slam and open mic will be emceed by performance artist and poetry slam events director Voice Porter. A vendor with a liquor license will provide free beer for sampling and bottles for purchase. Participants must be 18 years or older. Musical performances before each show. Word up y'all!

Bards & Brews is made possible by a generous donation from the Friends of the Birmingham Public Library.

People gather at tables and in rows of chairs

Refreshments are available: chips, dips, cookies, punch,
and selections from a local brewery

Local musicians begins the night

A Spoken Art Form

For many, poetry has been confined to the printed page. Often those pages are seen only in classrooms or read in quite solitude. Too often the words remain unseen on the printed page, closed up on forgotten shelves. Poetry is, in fact, a spoken art form. For me, one of the values of attending Bards & Brews in Birmingham is a chance to hear voices I might not otherwise hear. I can experience something of a life lived from a perspective other than my own.

Last Friday I heard words from my elders as well as the voices of youth. I heard one gentleman speak of his father, a WWII veteran, and heard him express his gratitude for "the greatest generation." I heard a young rapper tell of life as he experiences it from day to day. I heard an actor presenting work that he will debut in New York City in a couple of weeks. Not all of the poets were captured on camera, but you can see a few of them in the photos* above and below. 

Anna Weaver

There was one poet who traveled all the way from Raleigh, North Carolina, Anna Weaver, whose goal is to recite her work at an open mic event in all 50 states. I think she said that she has visited 30 states so far. She blogs at Open Mic Tourist. Perhaps she will soon tell of her trip to Birmingham.

Voice Porter

Bards & Brews is emceed each month by performance artist, Voice Porter, who always brings enthusiasm and professional aplomb to the occasion. He always plugs local talent by getting on his "SOAP" box: "Support Our Artists, Please."

If you are a poet, it is important to share your work in public. Bards and Brews is one place where you can have that opportunity to read what you are writing. You can also find inspiration from others who are writing.

Often the open mic event rotates to other library branches. Last month it was at Iron City, a local entertainment venue, and next month it will be held at the Birmingham Museum of Art.

If you find yourself on a first  Friday of the month looking for a night on the town, Birmingham's Bards & Brews is a wonderful creative outlet well worth your time.

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* All photos are from the Bards & Brews Event site.

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