‘Variety of voices’ to be heard at final National Poetry Month event

Throughout April, students have organized and enjoyed poetry slams, readings and other events. \n“I think it’s great,” said sophomore Union Board Performing Arts Director Alexa Lopez, whose OUTSPOKEN Poetry Slam last Tuesday in the Indiana Memorial Union Gallery drew competitors and spectators. “There should be more events that go on.” \nNow, as National Poetry Month draws to a close, one event remains: the Runcible Spoon Poetry Series “Celebrating Poetry” at 7 p.m. Friday. While donations are always welcome, the event is free and open to the public.\nThe cafe and restaurant, whose name comes from an Edward Lear poem, “The Owl and the Pussycat,” has hosted an evening of poetry every fourth Friday since before many IU students were born.\n“The Runcible Spoon Poetry Series began in the ’80s, but it has had a variety of different hosts and hostesses,” said current producer and hostess Patricia Coleman, who has been hosting the program for four years. \nThe evening will feature poets Jenny Kander, Suzanne Sturgeon and Shana Ritter, who will perform their own work, along with a reading by Kadhim Shaban of other poets’ work. An open-mic portion will follow the main event.\nDr. Jawdat Fakhreddin, a professor of Arabic literature at the Lebanese University in Beirut, will be the evening’s special guest.\n“I find people or people find me who are interested in reading, and I build a program around that,” Coleman said. \nShe added that she is looking forward to Kander’s performance.\n“(Kander is) pretty well-known in the poetry world because she created the Linen Weave (of Bloomington Poets),” Coleman said, referencing the poetess’s anthology of 49 Bloomington poets’ work, according to the book’s home page. Kander also hosts a weekly five-minute program named “Poets Weave” produced by WFIU; it airs Sundays at 11:46 a.m., according to the WFIU Web site. Of course, Coleman is excited to hear all the performers.\n“You are going to hear a variety of voices,” she said, pointing out that anyone, from other poets to musicians, can perform during the open-mic segment. \nColeman particularly complimented the restaurant’s atmosphere.\n“It’s a good community, it’s a good feeling,” she said. “It always seems to be a comforting group of people.” \nMatt O’Neill, chef and owner of the Runcible Spoon since December 2001, said the cafe’s affinity for poetry is a long-standing tradition, both in the community and for him personally.\n“I used to come to poetry readings in the ’90s,” O’Neill said. “If there’s a ghost at the Spoon, it’s a poet.”\nHe added that he tries to encourage the art form and its creators whenever possible.\n“If people want to have a poetry reading here, we’ll block off a room for them,” O’Neill said. “I don’t think you own the Runcible Spoon, you’re just the curator here. ... You never know, you might have another famous poet who worked on homework here.”