FLORENCE — In honor of National Poetry Month, the Bombyx Center for Arts and Equity in Florence will once again host a thoroughly unique Western Massachusetts celebration of the art of poetry with “Poetry and Pie” on Saturday, April 26 at 7 p.m.
The casual and inclusive community event aims to bring together both poetry regulars and newcomers for live poetry performances. The event has become a community favorite as a celebration of poetry with a delicious dessert to cap off performances.
The motto for the event is simple: “First the poetry, then the pie,” as the Florence Poetry Carnival stated in their release of the event.
Tickets can be purchased at tinyurl.com/3c8sz8uy. Tickets are free but there is a $20 suggested donation. There will be a limited number of pies available after the show and they will be an additional cost.
“I’m very committed to activating community,” said Rachel Blackman, the event’s originator. “Bombyx and the Florence Pie Bar are part of the character of Florence, Massachusetts. I approached them to join forces with me for another take on poetry reading and they were on board.”
Brother’s Keeper Poetry Theater Ensemble: A Voice for Change is the featured guest for this year’s event. The group is self-described as “ … a poetry theater ensemble that seeks to bring healing, encouragement and inspiration to others through the art of spoken word.”
Poets Marlon Carey, Art Collins, Lawrence R. Nunes and Yunus Quddus first performed as Brother’s Keeper in 2012. As an ensemble, these Massachusetts and Rhode Island poets merge poignant poetry with vibrant performance art to engage, uplift and inspire. Their combined talents of poetry, theater and music, as showcased in “Yes I Am,” an original poetry play, invite audiences to reflect, connect and envision a better future.
“For this performance at Bombyx, we are cooking up an original remix of poems by Emily Dickinson,” said Carey.
In addition to pairing poetry and pie, Blackman added she was also interested in pairing young local writers with established poets through this event. That is why three finalists from this year’s Academy Regional Youth Poetry Slam in Northampton will kick off the evening as special guests before the main show and pie dessert.
“The programming for Poetry & Pie, what is really important to me is diversity. It’s really important to me to do that kind of art programming and put together thoughtful programming,” said Blackman. “I also think what turns out to be important is wanting to support young people taking themselves seriously as creators, so that’s really part of the impulse. Young people have a lot to say.”
Blackman expressed much gratitude for Florence Pie Bar, providers of the pie slices that will be available for purchase during the community conversation following the performance in the Peacock Room at Bombyx. She reiterated there will be a limited number of pie available for attendees and pie is an additional cost.
“I’m very interested in programming and unique things to help Florence have a voice and a unique thing, especially for National Poetry Month,” Blackman added. “That is part of why I bother. It’s nice to find ways to have Florence have its own things.”
