News

Saint Paul Almanac Editor Patricia Kirkpatrick Wins Minnesota Book Award!

We at the Saint Paul Almanac were more than a little excited about the Minnesota Book Awards this year. Our very own community editor, board member and co-editor for the 2014 edition, Patricia Kirkpatrick won the award for poetry. Her book Odessa, published by Milkweed Editions, is a moving piece of work. It chronicles the painstaking reclamation of herself during a time that included some of the less than usual hardships that can knock one down in life. The book is an open heart, an invitation to be human and graceful just as we know Patricia to be.

April 24th, 2013: TruArtSpeaks presents the (K.)N.E.W. MN Youth Poetry Slam Team at the Lowertown Reading Jam

TruArtSpeaks has been an active organization in the Twin Cities since 2006. TruArtSpeaks utilizes elements of hip-hop, spoken word, and the arts, to encourage literacy and develop leadership in the communities we serve, supporting a generation of vibrant young voices as they make their claim on the world. The (K.)N.E.W. MN Youth Poetry Slam Series is a program that seeks to identify six youth poets between the ages of 13-19 to represent Minnesota in the annual international Brave New Voices Youth Poetry Slam Festival. Come meet them!

Poetry, Happiness and Memory: Minnesota’s Poet Laureate Joyce Sutphen

Poetry, happiness and memory emerged as the dominant themes at lunch on March 20th with Minnesota Poet Laureate Joyce Sutphen at the Humanities Center in St. Paul, part of the Lunch and Learn series. Sutphen’s talk was playfully labeled with alternative titles: “Got Poetry?,” Poetry in Your Pocket,” “Poetry Out Loud,” and “Poetry for Lunch.” In the end, these were really just chapters in a free-ranging discussion that touched on why it’s important to get poetry, to understand it and keep it close at  hand, like a poem in your pocket, something you can remember and recite.

April 25, 2013 – Soul Sounds Open Mic with Marcus Kar

Marcus started playing music at the age of 12 in a Lutheran church choir beside his loving mother Victoria. He is currently the percussionist in the award winning Xavier Marquis band. He was previously the bassist and vocalist in the bands We Are Awesome, Ron Band, and Dolphins of Tomorrow. Born Marcus Glay Kar in Liberian West Africa and raised in South Minneapolis, Marcus grew up with a wide range of music exposure, developing a great wide appreciation of music. Some of his influences include (but not limited to) Roky Erickson, A Tribe Called Quest, Eric B. & Rakim, Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding and of course, Prince.

April 18, 2013 – Soul Sounds Open Mic with Marie Chanté

Chicago native Marie Chanté learned early on that stories are powerful and whether heard or unheard, everyone has one. As a child, her voice was sometimes hushed, but she knew writing would save her life. As an adult she stands on the stronger side of vulnerability and shares her joy of storytelling with all who will listen, through Spoken Word Poetry. She now lives in the Twin Cities with her three sons.

April 11, 2013 – Soul Sounds Open Mic with Mic 101

MIC101, also known as MICONE represents the Golden Era of Hip-Hop. Growing up in the heart of Chicago during the 1980s, he was immersed in all of the elements of the then emerging and awakening hip-hop Culture. MIC101 toured with DJ Kool Herc and Wise Intelligent of Poor Righteous Teachers. MICONE expanded his experience through academics, pursuing a BA in History and Statistics from the University of Minnesota—Morris. MICONE embodies the spirit of the hip-hop culture’s diversity as he tells his unique “from the streets to college” story through music and other forms of art.

April 4, 2013 – Soul Sounds Open Mic with Kyra Calvert and Writing Workshop

Kyra Calvert: brown girl human, writer, and art historian. Accolades to mention, yet never worth mentioning. Recognition comes from a fictional god who is the spirit-child of Toni Morrison and Prince. Brown girl believes in real God, too. Known for never-ending wordplay and crooked faces. Respected for metaphors that come out in spit bubbles that resemble purple rain.

March 28, 2013 – Soul Sounds Open Mic with Mayo

Born and raised in Englewood, Ca. Mayo Gardner, 22, began writing poetry at 9 years of age before moving to the Twin Cities. Tired of having emotions such as loss and grief built up inside, Mayo took to poetry as a means for a positive outlet. Seeing his talent early, a homegirl of Mayo’s asked him to promise her that he would take his writing seriously. You can say he’s holding up his end of the bargain.

March 27th, 2013: Sha Cage presents “The Blacker The Berry” at the Lowertown Reading Jam

The Saint Paul Almanac is pleased to announce the sixth in its 2012–2013 season of acclaimed Lowertown Reading Jams, which celebrate the rich literary history of Minnesota’s capital city. This long-anticipated reading by 25+ of some of the most prolific women of color in the Twin Cities is curated by Shá Cage. Cage has traveled widely to areas such as Canada, England, Africa, New York, Bosnia, France, and more, teaching and performing her work that largely centers around topics of identity, class, cultural celebration, and home. Cage has invited the women to speak around a shared theme, “The Blacker the Berry.” Expect laughter, deep thought, community engagement, knee-slapping, and finger-snapping.

March 21, 2013 – Soul Sounds Open Mic with K.Raydio (Krysta Rayford)

Krysta Rayford a.k.a. K.Raydio was born in Evanston, Illinois, and moved to Minneapolis in grade school. Her mother was a singer and guitarist and her father was the son of a blues musician. Rayford graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in May 2010 with a degree in Communication Arts. Shortly thereafter Rayford attended an Erykah Badu/Janelle Monae concert in Chicago, which inspired her to overcome her longtime stage fright and pursue her passion for music.

March 14, 2013 – Soul Sounds Open Mic with Nehemiah Jett

Featured performer Nehemiah is an up & coming comedian in the Twin Cities. He has shared the stage with both local and national artists. Get ready for the funny. Host Tish Jones, Community Engagement Director for the Saint Paul Almanac, is a spoken word artist, writer, educator, organizer, and activist in the Twin Cities. She received the 2009 Artist of the Year Award from City Pages and was Female Spoken Word Artist of the Year at the Minnesota Spoken Word Association’s Urban Griots Awards in 2009.

March 7, 2013 – Soul Sounds Open Mic with Kate Lynn Hibbard and Writing Workshop

Kate Lynn Hibbard’s first book of poems, Sleeping Upside Down (Silverfish Press 2006), won the Gerald Cable Book Award. Her second collection, Sweet Weight, was released by Tiger Bark Press in 2012. She is editor of When We Become Weavers: Queer Female Poets on the Midwestern Experience (Squares & Rebels Press, 2012). Other honors include the Aestrea Foundation’s Lesbian Writing Finalist Award, a McKnight Artist Fellowship in Poetry, two Minnesota State Arts Board Initiative Grants, a Jerome Foundation Travel Grant, and residencies at Hedgebrook and the Cornucopia Arts Council.