"Open Mic Night @ The Inn” Celebrates 3 Years in Belleville.
By: Susan Spit-Fire Lively- MetroEast NEWS
(BELLEVILLE)
Thurs., June 14th
I want to thank each and every one of you for your love and support, without you none of this would be possible! We are celebrating this momentous occasion with an absolutely magnetic cast of local stars that you will just love! Our feature for the evening is Katerina Canyon, a prolific and award-winning Poet, Author, and Spoken Word Artist from Los Angeles, Ca. The “Poet Laureate of Sunland-Tujunga” from 2001-2003, she received the 2002 Virginia Allan National Young Careerist award from Business and Professional Women/USA for her work in the community with poetry. She created the “Shouting Coyote Poetry Festival” and hosted the “Eccentric Moon Poetry Reading” for two years as well.
- Katerina’s spoken word performances are at turns deeply moving and hauntingly beautiful and spotlight her sharply honed writing skills. She’s been featured in cities all over the United States. She has published two chapbooks and released one cd of her literary work. Canyon has been published in “Sepia Poetry Magazine”; “Lucid Moon Magazine”; “Interracial Magazine”; “Muse of Fire Magazine”; “Dream International Quarterly”; “Foothill Leader”; “Peace & Freedom Magazine”; “Insects are People Too Magazine”; “Poetry Motel”; “Newsletter Inago”; “Pussy Poetry”; “San Gabriel Valley Poetry Quarterly”; and “Open Wide Magazine”. Her work was also featured in St. Louis’ own “Bad Shoe” literary magazine. Katerina and her family currently live in the city of St. Louis.
Opening for Canyon is Louis Conphliction, a dynamic and brilliant young Poet, Emcee, Rapper, Vocalist, and Spoken Word Artist from the city of St. Louis. He went to the Gateway Institute of Technology and later attended the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where he attained a degree in Biology. Louis has performed all over the greater St. Louis region, at hot local venues like STL’s Finest Bar & Grill, The Cigar Inn, and Legacy Café and Books, where he hosts the “Urb Poetry” Open Mic on most Friday nights at 9 p.m. The proceeds from the show benefit the non-profit organization “UAACD - Urban Artist Alliance for Child Development”, which encourages youth to turn to words rather than violence.
- Louis Conphliction has won Slam competitions here at home as well as in Washington D.C., and New York City, where he rocked the Mic at the famous “Nuyorican Slam”. Plus he’s been featured at The Inspired Word in NYC, Jus Words in Philadelphia, and Rodney Perry's “All The Way LIVE” in Atlanta, GA. His spoken word performances are electrifying, potent, and often humorous, and his words challenge you to think outside of preconceived notions. And Louis has an amazing singing voice and is currently working on a Reggae-inspired music CD. Recently, he hosted the 30th Annual Alpha Phi Alpha (Alpha Eta Chapter) MarchDown in St. Louis, MO and participated in both St. Louis installments of the largest poetry event in history – “100 Thousand Poets for Change”. This year he is one of the co-organizers for the St. Louis installment of that event, and is also a member of the “Urb Slam” team, where he is preparing for the “Southern Fried Slam” competition. To learn more, check out his website at www.Lou-Con.com.
We would like to warmly welcome back Miss Fior Baptiste, a very accomplished Vocalist, Songwriter, Poet, Graphic Designer, and Entertainment Manager originally from Hammond, LA. Fior went to Soldan International Studies and The Gateway Institute of Technology before attending and graduating from Gwinnett College. She is also multilingual, speaking Spanish, Swahili, and Papiamento. Baptiste is the CEO of “BMD Consulting and Entertainment” and manages Spoken Word Artist and Rapper Louis Conphliction. She was recently featured in the new Women’s History Month Reading Series “First Bloom” at GYA Community Gallery. She now lives in St. Louis, Mo. where she is hard at work on her second CD.
Also performing will be St. Louis native Erin Goss, a dedicated Poet, Author, Spoken Word Artist, and Activist known for her passionate heart and sizzling prose. Goss has been featured at “Chance Operations” at Duff’s Restaurant, “Poems, Prose, and Pints” at Dressel’s Public House, “100 Thousand Poets For Change” at the Regional Arts Commission (“Joining the Global Voice”),"St. Louis Speaks!" at Kiener Plaza, and many other important regional events.
Love & Hugs,
Spit-Fire
