Poetry Night coming to Spaceship Earth
Dec. 6—McAlester's Poetry Club is bringing poetry to downtown McAlester with an event including featured poet Mary B. Gray and an open mic night for local poets.
It's set for 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 8, at Spaceship Earth Coffee, at 345 E. Choctaw Ave. Poetry night is hosted by the McAlester Public Library Poetry Club, which ordinarily meets at the McAlester Public Library, but is now taking poetry to the streets.
"We are glad to host them, but it's really led by the poets themselves," said McAlester Public Library Manager Heath Stanfield. "We're glad to have a partnership with them."
Spaceship Earth General Manager Paige Crouch said the venue is looking forward to the event.
"Spaceship Earth loves to support creativity in the community any way we can," Crouch said. "McAlester Public Library Poetry Club has been great to work with. We've been looking forward to collaborating with the McAlester Public Library Poetry Club for some time.
"Special guest Mary B. Gray will be reading some of her work," Crouch said. "We encourage others to bring theirs."
Gray is the author of "Who Do You Think You Are?" It's her first book of collected poems, published this past October through Turning Plow Press. After Gray's reading, a short open mic session will be available for a limited number of local poets to read their work, organizers said.
Gray, who learned poetry as a child, was born and raised in Lawton and now resides in Oklahoma City, according to Poetry Club member Regina Peoples. Gray earned her Bachelor of Arts in both Journalism and English Writing. She also earned her Master of Public Administration from OU and her Master of Fine Arts from Oklahoma City University.
Gray's previous public readings include the Mark Allen Everett Poetry Series and Scissortail Creative Writing Festival. Her work has been published in "Ain't Nobody That Can Sing Like Me," Territory Magazine, and "For the Sonorous."
The McAlester Public Library Poetry Club is a group of local poets who meet monthly at the library and in the community to share poems related to new themes every month. Club members meet the second Thursday of every month at the McAlester Public Library, Crouch said.
"The purpose of the poetry club is to perpetuate an environment of free speech, self expression, learning, and poetic sentiment," said Club President Jessica Huntley.
Anyone needing more information regarding the Poetry Club or Poetry Night can contact the McAlester Public Library at 918-426-0930 or email Jessica Huntly at quartz.arrowhead@gmail.com.
Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.
