Wednesday Night Poetry features poet, filmmaker

Little Rock poet Simone Renee, who goes by the stage name "Cobris," will be this week's feature for Wednesday Night Poetry at Kollective Coffee+Tea, 110 Central Ave.

The regular open mic session for all poets begins at 6:30 p.m. and Cobris will perform at 7 p.m., followed by another open mic session. Admission is free and open to all ages.

Over the past five years Cobris has performed her poetry at numerous Little Rock locations including the House of Art, The Rock Town Slam and Vino's. She has also been a featured poet in a number of Texas venues and has shared the stage with the Dallas Slam Team, and in May was a finalist in the Spa City Slam during the Arts & The Park celebration.

With a B.A. in Mass Communications from UALR, she is currently a relationships manager with Bank of America in Little Rock and plans to pursue a master's degree in business. "I'm a banker by day and a poet at night," she said in a news release.

Cobris describes her poetry as metaphysical. "I write to express my emotions about lots of things -- mostly love," she said. "Instead of crying I write poetry." She is currently working on an album and a chap book of her work.

Her favorite poet is the 2010 Individual World Slam Champion Rudy Francisco of San Diego. "The man inspires me like no other poet I have ever seen," she said.

In addition to writing and performing poetry, Cobris is also a budding documentary filmmaker. She has produced two short films, one about the homeless in Arkansas and another about poetry in the Natural State, with plans for longer productions in the future.

Email [email protected] for more information about Wednesday Night Poetry.