This gallery contains 3 photos.
Organizer: Kevin Patrick Sullivan Contact: kpsslopoet@charter.net
Organizer: Lisa Vihos Contact: spyderbyte@aol.com From Sheboygan organizer, Lisa Vihos: Once again, we will be on the terrace of Mead Public Library from 1-3 p.m. Our featured reader this year is the poet laureate of Milwaukee, Roberto Harrison. There will … Continue reading →
ORGANIZER: Ron Kolm CONTACT: kolmrank@verizon.net This is an invitation to join the Unbearables and friends as they take part in the international event 100 Thousand Poets for Change by reading their work at the Parkside Lounge. This event … Continue reading →
ORGANIZER: Jessica Wilson Cardenas CONTACT: losangelespoetsociety@gmail.com Hosted in Venice Beach, CA by James Evert Jones, expressions l.a. Saturday, September 30 at Beyond Baroque in Venice Beach… 7th Annual 100 Thousand Poets for Change World Festival Hosted by the Los … Continue reading →
Organizer: Blaise Allen Contact: drblaiseallen@aol.com Group: Palm Beach Poetry Festival September 30th, 2017, 3:30-7:00 p.m. The American Rocks Bar and Grill 1600 East Hillsboro Blvd. Deerfield Beach, FL.954-428-4539 Please join us to participate in the largest poetry reading in history! … Continue reading →
ORGANIZERS: Maryfrances Wagner Programming Chair for The Writers Place and John Gallaher LOCATION: 3607 PENNSYLVANIA, KANSAS CITY, MO 64111, (816) 753-1090 100,000 POETS FOR CHANGE Saturday, September 30, 2017 4:00pm 10:00pm This is an international event, and over 100,000 poets … Continue reading →
ORGANIZERS: Just Buffalo Writing Center (Hannah Nathanson and Robin Jordan) CONTACT: artistsforchange.buffalo@gmail.com rjordan@justbuffalo.org GENERAL IDEA: This 100,000 Poets and Artists for Change event will be entirely youth-centric. Organized by young writers of the Just Buffalo Writing Center, the event will … Continue reading →
ORGANIZER: Brett Hutchins CONTACT: bhutchins@innisfreehotels.com ORGANIZATION: From The Ground Up Community Garden From The Ground Up Community Garden open mic 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, From The Ground Up Community Garden, 501 N. Hayne St. From the Ground Up … Continue reading →
ORGANIZER: Susan Spitfire Lively CONTACT: lostnation2009@gmail.com 100 Thousand Poets & Musicians for Change – St. Louis Produced by Amanda Wells & Susan “Spit-Fire” Lively Saturday, Sept.30th 4:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. URB ARTS 2600 N. 14th Street St. Louis, Mo. … Continue reading →
Pirene’s Fountain A Journal of Poetry Feature: 100 Thousand Poets for Change-Guest edited by Larry Sawyer Essays and other writings by 100 TPC organizers. Larry Sawyer Steve Dalachinsky Barbara Barg Nana Nestoros Zachary Kluckman Mujeeb Jaihoon Richard Kraweic Menka Shivdasani … Continue reading →
ORGANIZER: Charlie Rossiter CONTACT: charliemrossiter@gmail.com 100K Poets, Musicians and Artists for Change All-Genre Open Mic September 30, 2017 7:00 pm 108 School St., Bennington, VT* Since 2011, 100K Poets for Change has been an annual world-wide happening made up of … Continue reading →
COMPLETE BIOS OF PERFORMERS… Ryley Smith is described by her label Cat Family Records as “The six-string siren that reaped Jeff Buckley’s soul.” Her EP from Cat Family is coming out soon. Ryley Smith collaborates with a variety of musicians … Continue reading →
ORGANIZERS: Danny Shot, Eliot Katz, Vivian Demuth CONTACT: dannyshot57@gmail.com TIME AND LOCATION: Saturday, September 30 at 7:30 pm at: Issyra African Art Gallery 300 Observer Hwy Hoboken, New Jersey 07030 A stellar line-up of poets and musicians featuring: Tammy … Continue reading →
Organizer: Kat Copeland
Contact: kopykat@grandecom.net
2017 – 100,000 Poets for Change and the Permian Basin Poetry Society
Midland/Odessa Texas
Kat Copeland, Reporting:
The Permian Basin Poetry Society sponsored the 100,000 Poets for Change (Global) event on September 30th, locally, in downtown Odessa, Texas from 7 pm – midnight. The house was packed. The positive support and sharing by the poets, musicians, visual artists, and audience was astounding. The feel was electric and enthusiast, an eclectic crowd. In spite of the constant rain all day – and flooding.
Dee’s is the perfect artsy venue, brick building from the 1940s, the former Ector County Library and Presidential Museum. It includes brick floors, decor of antiques and collectibles.
Our dual talented emcees, who are also musicians, were Ernesto Calderon and Kyle Youngblood. An additional singer and five bands of multiple genres performed.
Poetry/spoken word artists were: Shaobeny Chanprell, David Limer from Amarillo, Ashley Alley, Amanda Rudloff, Ann Swan, Lorrie Norris, Courtney Simpson, Martha Zulema Barraza, Kionne Lewis, Vince Angeles, Josh Weir, Isaiah Mata, Jared Madrigal, BoUdre Williams, Angel Sanchez, Kat Copeland, comics Adam Rhee and Lubbockite Jesus Herrera.
Fifteen visual artists, including multi-talented poets and other artists displayed in the gallery, including Jim Waddell from Denton, Texas.
Authors were welcomed to do book signings. Merchandise was available.
Also performing was Cynthia Ruby (Michelle Hall Pfalzgraf), published poet and visual artist, who arranged for Beth Atkins, reporter for UTPB’s “Mesa Journal” to interview the artists. Video was done by Isaiah Villafranco, Michelle Hall Pfalzgraf, and others. Our 100 tpc flyer on Facebook received 23,000 likes.
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Kat Copeland, organizer photo
This is an article I wrote for UTPB’s online newspaper, The Mesa Journal. I am currently the Arts & Entertainment writer for the newspaper, but I wanted to have another place to share my articles where I can also share writings that I am not writing for The Mesa Journal. This is a review I wrote on my city’s 100 Thousand Poets for Change event which occurred on September 30, 2017. Please enjoy and come back for more writings. I hope to share movie reviews and some local arts & entertainment news here and possibly some of my creative writing. When my articles are published by my editor onto The Mesa Journal’s website, I will edit its respective entry here on my blog, and add the link to it. Anyway, enjoy this review of my city’s 100 Thousand Poets for Change event!
Permian Basin Poetry Society Presents 100,000 Poets for Change
Written by Beth Atkins.
The Permian Basin Poetry Society held its annual 100 Thousand Poets for Change event at Dee’s Bistro in downtown Odessa on Saturday, September 30, 2017. 100 Thousand Poets for Change is a non-profit organization, started in 2011, which reaches out to communities all over the world to hold poetry, music, and art gatherings in their own areas. The organization advocates reconnection among community members through the arts; by fostering solidarity, their goal is to promote political, social, and environmental change that would lead to peace and sustainability around the world. Kat Copeland of the Permian Basin Poetry Society organized our local event, and collected food and monetary donations for the West Texas Food Bank.
Odessa’s 100 Thousand Poets for Change 2017 event included diverse artists from all over Texas and some other states, including Oklahoma. Performers, artists, and patrons of all different ethnicities and backgrounds gathered to share in the celebration of free expression and creativity. There was a visual arts exhibit featuring paintings and photography, as well as an open mic event which featured poetry and prose readings, musical performances, comedic acts, and even couture and kinetic art.
Figure 1. “Suicide,” by David Limer. |
I spoke briefly with two visual artists whose work was on display at the event. David Limer of Amarillo, Texas had four acrylic paintings at the exhibit; one entitled “Suicide” is pictured here in Figure 1. Limer is also a poet, with two published books entitled “My Blood, My Tears” and “Real Thought in Real Time,” and I was lucky enough to hear him read some of his poetry at the open mic event. From his poetry reading and the small discussion I had with him about his paintings, I gathered that a theme common to both his art and poetry was the recognition and condemnation of cruel behaviors in our society which can alienate people, and lead some to depression and suicide. Other published writers who read at the open mic event included local poet Cynthia Ruby and novelist Ann Swann.
Figure 2. “Within Yourself” (Top Left), “Out of the Darkness” (Bottom Left), and “Waking Up,” by Emma Lee. |
Emma Lee, an Odessa native, was another visual artist who I spoke to briefly. Her painting “Waking Up,” pictured here on the right side of Figure 2, explores the idea of people becoming “faceless silhouettes” as a result of being too wrapped up in the turmoil of modern life to stop and witness the beauty around them. Her other featured paintings, also pictured here, promote reliance on “the light within” oneself as a faithful resource for creativity and personal development.
Among the musical performances were two local bands, The Corbell Blues Band and a group of youngsters called the king of infinite space and the indifferent children of the earth (yes, you read it right, and, yes, the lack of capitalization is intentional). The Corbell Blues Band put out a lot of fun energy and had frequent crowd interaction. Brian Corbell, one of the guitarists and vocalists, had a very unique voice which I enjoyed and found thoroughly bluesy. For their finale, Brian introduced a new instrument to the show: a shovel (yes, as in the tool you use to dig holes) which had been converted into a 3-string guitar! It was a surprising and amusing addition to their set, and the shovel sounded great (that’s certainly a sentence you don’t hear every day!).
The next band, the king of infinite space and the indifferent children of the earth, was a band of very young musicians: three of them are still juniors at Midland High School, while one, the percussionist, is a freshman at West Texas A&M. Two of the members, Harrison and Christopher, switch between bass and guitar, while Hadn is the vocalist and Balin, the percussionist.
Figure 3. Indie band the king of infinite space and the indifferent children of the earth performing at Odessa’s 100 Thousand Poets for Change, 2017. |
All of the songs performed by the king of infinite space… were original compositions, except for one: a spot-on cover of the Violent Femmes song “Blister in the Sun.” The band exhibited expert command of their instruments, rhythm, and on-stage communication, often switching from faster tempos to slower ones in an instant, with just a glance exchanged between them. Their songs featured complex rhythms and endearing melodies. The singer’s voice had a timbre which I would describe as a wonderful combination of Robert Plant and Gordon Gano. This band was captivating, and their sound as a whole had a grungy, folk punk quality. I hope very much to see more performances by them, or a demo release in the future.
I am including at the end of this article a list of all the performers who appeared on the printed program; I am doing this because I could not get to everyone who participated in the event, and I think they all deserve recognition for such a wonderful showcase of talent and creativity. It was encouraging to see so many people in attendance to show support for the local art community.
Please check out the Permian Basin Poetry Society’s Facebook for future events; Kat Copeland stated that they try to hold open mic nights in the Odessa-Midland area at least once a month. Kat also made it clear to me that she is a big advocate for freedom of expression, stating “everyone has a right to express their creativity and to express themselves.” Therefore, she would love to see even more participants in Permian Basin Poetry Society events, and welcomes artists of all different backgrounds.
Make sure you check out 100 Thousand Poets for Change, and definitely consider attending or even performing in next year’s event, which will likely take place the last weekend of September, 2018.
Performers and Artists of Odessa’s 2017 100 Thousand Poets for Change event:
Emcees: Ernesto Calderon, Kyle Trueblood; Music:Corbell Blues Band, the king of infinite space and the indifferent children of earth, Kyle Trueblood, Regina Bejarano, Dorian Guerro, Murder Monroe, The S.E.E., Maul; Poetry/Spoken Word: Shaobeny Chanprell, David Limer, Amanda Rudloff & Shelby w/ Bella, Ann Swann, Lorrie Norris, Courtney Simpson, Martha Zulema Barraza, Isaiah Mata, Kionne Lewis, Vince, Cynthia Ruby, Laron Wright, Patrick Gesch, Tabara Williams, Triston Lee, Isaiah, Jared Madrigal, BoUdre; Comedy: Adam Rhee; Couture: Lorrie Norris; Kinetic Art: The VooDoo Child; Paintings:Marilyn Benefield, Bitty, Lauren Christine, Taylor Jones, Veronika Kot, Emma Lee, David Limer, Michaela, Adam Rhee, Cynthia Ruby, Jim Waddell;Photography: Dana L Bryson, Ryan Fryoux, Courtney Simpson; Videographer: Isaiah Villafranco.
ORGANIZER: Sherjan Ahmad
CONTACT: sherjanahmad4@gmail.com
ABOUT THE BESTILLS
Our Pianist, Albert Ahlf comes from a Jazz background, he’s influenced by musicians such as Bill Evans, Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong. Our Drummer, Taylor Simpson is a classically trained musician and also plays Jazz and rock. He’s influenced by musicians such as Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Jeff Porcaro and Led Zeppelin. Our Bass player/Vocalist, Charlotte Harrow is also a classically trained vocalist, she’s influenced by a lot of folk musicians such as Belle and Sebastian, Ruth Moodyand The Wailin’ Jenny’s. Our Rhythm Guitar player, Imraan Ahmad Khan is influenced by musicians such as Radiohead, Local Natives, James Blake and Jeff Buckley. And i’m the Lead Guitarist/Vocalist of the band and i’m influenced by Eastern Qawwali music and Western Rock Music. Artists such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Junoon, Coldplay, U2 and The Beatles.
by Jocelyn Jane Cox
In this current political enviroment filled with rancor and disagreement, it’s good to know that people are also coming together. Five local bands played in the name of unity at Nyack’s First Reformed Church on Jan 14 with all proceeds benefiting Planned Parenthood and Helping Hands. I was lucky enough to catch the tail end of this Unity Concert that featured Sammy Cannillo, Hold On, Caulfield, The Foxfires, Who Are They and The BeStills. It was more than just uplifting. It gave me hope.
As Christian Diana of The Foxfires said, “The show was filled with people who were positive and supportive. The energy of the room was very synchronized. Sometimes shows can be stressful, but there was no stress with this; the spirit of unity seemed to take over.”
When I asked Sherjan Ahmad, one of the organizers of the event and the lead singer of the BeStills, why he helped to put this together, he said, “After the election I sensed a lot of negativity and polarization in our country and our community. . . . I said to myself, ‘What can I do in my community that can help bring some healing and unite us during these divisive times?’” He met with Pastor John Vandenoever, who is a guitar player himself and who was more than happy to help. “Things began to fall into place. . . . It’s a small step we’re taking to build awareness for celebrating diversity. America has always been a cultural melting pot and that’s one of its biggest strengths. This is our way of strengthening community through music.”
Ahmad, who is just 23 years old, has a stage presence and wisdom well beyond his years. He was born in Pakistan but has lived in Rockland County since 2002. He went to South Orangetown Middle School, Tappan Zee High School, and Purchase College. He told me that the first few years in the United States were tough because it was right after 9/11. “I was constantly bullied in school, kids would not give me a seat on the bus, they’d call me nasty names such as ‘Terrorist’ and ‘Osama’s son.’ I remember coming home one day, crying to my mom and telling her that ‘I don’t want to live here anymore, I don’t belong here.’ She told me to be strong and that things will get better if you try to build bridges. She was right because when I was 12 my dad bought me a guitar and that helped me share my passions, dreams, and stories with my classmates and that changed adversity to acceptance.”
This event was a direct and more public extension of that bridge-building his mother suggested 15 years ago.
Ahmad said that he, along with co-organizer Tyler Lamphere, of Hold On, Caulfield, put together this list of bands based on their having done charitable work in the past. “Most importantly, their music reflects the message of love and community.”
When my friend and I walked in, the BeStills were just taking the stage. Their music is about hope and love. It’s upbeat and combines the influences of Coldplay, U2, Fleetwood Mac, Radiohead, and The Beatles. One song they performed, “Hearts Don’t Break,” begins, “Young hearts trying to see the light/But there’s darkness everywhere. You fall hard, you never give up / They keep pushing you away.”
Between sets, Ahmad was gracious, and quoted Martin Luther King. Ahmad describes his bandmates (pianist Albert Ahlf, drummer Taylor Simpson, bass player/vocalist Charlotte Harrow, rhythm guitar player Imraan Ahmad Khan) as his best friends. They grew up in the same town. “All of our paths crossed because of our love and passion for music. The unique thing about our band is that we’re very diverse in terms of our backgrounds, cultures, and musical tastes.”
One of the most powerful moments came at the very end of the show, when members from all of the bands, mostly 20-somethings, got on stage together to sing John Lennon’s “Imagine” (pictured above). The song did the impossible: It made me hopeful.
A few days after the show, when I asked Ahmad how he thought it went, he said he was pleased not only by the amount of money that they raised but also the way people came together. He loved seeing all the other bands perform. They had to cancel the show the week before due to snow, and it started snowing and getting icy on the rescheduled night as well, but he said, “people still came out and they stayed until the end. One mother and daughter came up to me afterwards and said they had driven 40 minutes to get there and they were glad they did.”
Ahmad believes we can all bring some light to the world, that we can all bring small changes to our circles, whether we’re doctors or teachers or musicians. “If we do this,” he said, “little by little, it all adds up.”
These are wise words from this 23 year-old. And this kind of optimism and belief in unity? Completely contagious. Keep your eye out for all of these bands as they release records and perform locally and beyond. This is our country’s future, and it looks very promising.
Organizer: Susan Lamont
Contact: peacenik@sonic.net
The next 100 Thousand Poets for Change is Sunday afternoon (exact time later), January 22nd. That is two days after the Trump inauguration (shudder). The official theme is Working Class Blues and we’ve had a few sign-ups already. I expect some presidential politics will sneak in as well what with these themes being rather closely connected. Some of you just might have something to say! Let me know! – Peace, Susan
The purpose of this GLOBAL ACTION CALENDAR is to create a global awareness of the many important events and actions taking place in arts communities around the world that intend to change the narrative of civilization from war, racism, misogyny, and ecological destruction to a narrative of peace, justice and sustainability. We hope this GLOBAL ACTION CALENDAR will be a great source of creative ideas and empowerment and help create positive change.
Please post your event details for the GLOBAL ACTION CALENDAR in the Comment Box below the calendar. Include the name of your event, event description, venue name, event location, time and date and any available contact information. This calendar is open to ALL artists of ALL disciplines. All event listings will appear within 2 hours of posting.
The RESISTANCE POETRY WALL has been opened in response to the call by many for an open place to post poetry and art about the recent USA elections. Poets and artists from around the world are invited to post their work here. Feel free to share this link.
The poetry and art posted on the wall are not limited to the USA elections. There are many issues that concern us all and we welcome your contribution to this page.
Post your poems in the comment box at the bottom of the page. Your poem will appear on the WALL in approximately 1 hour.
0rganizer: Monica Claire Antoine Contact: mcantonie@gmail.com Join us for a special reading at The Green Onion Organic Farm Market and Art Gallery Space (8 Greycourt Avenue, Chester, NY 10918) as we join 100 Thousand Poets for Change on Saturday, October … Continue reading →
ORGANIZER: Sarah Browning and Split This Rock CONTACT: browning@splitthisrock.org Support Split This Rock Please support Split This Rock and help bring poetry to the center of public life – where it belongs! Donations are fully tax-deductible.Click here to donate. Or send … Continue reading →
ORGANIZER: Susan Lamont CONTACT: peacenik@sonic.net Friday, October 28th and the theme is love. We’re emphasizing the complicated side of love – though you can do hearts and flowers, if you want. The theme is inspired by a mural on a wall … Continue reading →
Lee Ballinger- Los Angeles, California DONE The 100,000 Poets and Musicians radio show will be broadcast to the world on Saturday from noon to 3 PM Pacific Standard Time. Coming to you live from the LA Radio Studio in the … Continue reading →
ORGANIZER: Billie Duncan CONTACT: spinword@aol.com Houston’s 100 Thousand Poets for Change and 100 Thousand Musicians for Change will recognize the international day of celebration with a 100TPC & 100TMC blended performance and concert featuring readings by top Houston poets … Continue reading →
ORGANIZER: Chris Bodor CONTACT: poetplantpress@yahoo.com How can we encourage change with our words? What are some of the things that we would like to change? The written word’s potential to change will be examined. The Ancient City Poets and Women … Continue reading →
ORGANIZER: Maw Shein Win CONTACT: maw@redbridgepress.com 100 Thousand Poets for Change in El Cerrito! Readers: Heather Bourbeau, Derek Lassiter, Mari L’Esperance, Kirk Lumpkin, Peggy Morrison, and Tess Taylor When? Saturday, September 24, 3 – 5 pm Where? The Scene, 10700 … Continue reading →
ORGANIZER: Bob Moore CONTENTS: bmoore628@comcast.net One Hundred Thousand Poets for Change to be held at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Exeter on Saturday, October 1st. The 6th annual One Hundred Thousand Poet for Change (100 TPC) event will be … Continue reading →
ORGANIZER: 100 Thousand Poets for Change, Chicago Community Council 2016: Barbara Barg, Laura Goldstein, Jennifer Karmin, Toni Asante Lightfoot & Kenyatta Rogers CONTACT: jkarmin@yahoo.com Red Rover Reading Series Experiment #96: Know Your Rights A special event with 100 Thousand Poets … Continue reading →
ORGANIZER: Donna de la Perriere CONTACT: ddelaperriere@cca.edu DATE & TIME: Saturday, September 24 at 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM LOCATION: Alley Cat Books 3036 24th St, San Francisco, California 94110 Join us as poets across the globe celebrate poetry to … Continue reading →
ORGANIZER: Jeffery Martin, Los Angeles Poet Society and Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore CONTACT: venicesoapboxpoets@gmail.com Date and Time, Friday, September 23 at 8 PM – 10 PM Location: Tia Chucha’s Centro Cultural & Bookstore 13197 Gladstone Ave, Sylmar, … Continue reading →
Organizers: Jay Snodgrass, Kristine Snodgrass, Emile Boghos, Geoff Bouvier, Terri Carrion and Michael Rothenberg Contact: walterblue@bigbridge.org 2 Locations Simultaneously! Black Dog on The Square (850-841-7778) – 567 Industrial Drive, Tallahassee, Fl. MC at Black Dog Emile Boghos-3-5 at Black Dog … Continue reading →
ORGANIZER: Adam Gottlieb CONTACT: revolutionarypoetsbrigadechi@gmail.com Saturday, September 24 at 3 PM – 5 PM Young Chicago Authors, 1180 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, Illinois 60642 In coordination with hundreds of other events in dozens of countries participating in the … Continue reading →
Organizers: Mathew Baker and Ann Keniston Contact: keniston@unr.edu Join the UNR MFA in Creative Writing students, local authors, and community members for our 100k Poets for Change event. Come celebrate poetry and the change it can create in our … Continue reading →
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