Little Rock poet, author and executive director of decARcerate, Zachary Crow, will be the featured poet at Wednesday Night Poetry at Kollective Coffee+Tea, 110 Central Ave.
The regular open mic session for all poets, musicians, and storytellers will begin at 6:30 p.m. today. Crow will begin his feature set at 7:15 p.m., followed by another round of open mic. Admission is free and open to all ages. All are welcome.
Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and raised in Arkansas with a two-year sojourn in Atlanta, Crow currently lives, writes, and works in Little Rock, alongside his Yorkie Rosco. He has a Bachelor of Electronic Media and Communication and is the author of the 2018 poetry collection "Dancing in the Eddies," according to a biography provided by WNP.
"My book 'Dancing in the Eddies' is an autobiographical, pre-apocalyptic fever dream exploring the complexity and mundanity of life. In 34 parts, the book examines birth, death, love, loss, and the dangerous work of becoming in the wake of dismantled dreams. I am currently working on my second manuscript -- tentatively titled 'Ember: A Manifesto from the Future, Imagining a World Without Prisons and Police,'" Crow said in a news release.
"I work as the executive director of decARcerate, a nonprofit working to end mass incarceration in Arkansas with and on behalf of prisoners and their families. decARcerate works through a combination of community education, smart legislation, advocacy, and activism. We envision a world where equity, healing, and reconciliation replace systems of punishment and oppression," he said.
"Utilizing data, storytelling, artistic expression, and research, we educate Arkansans through public events that center the stories and experiences of individuals who are directly impacted by the criminal injustice system. We maintain an ongoing commitment to identify and support criminal justice legislation. We imagine a world in which all people are treated with dignity, equity, and justice, and demand it from our elected officials. decARcerate does grassroots organizing and advocacy work, mobilizing communities around issues we collectively care about. Through the work of our campaigns, we seek to create meaningful and systematic change. We work to empower people who are directly impacted by the criminal punishment system by placing them in positions of leadership and providing the training and resources they need to grow as organizers and activists," Crow said.
"I started writing poetry in Atlanta in 2013 after finding a poetry slam. Slam has been a life-giving space. Slam models the world we want to see -- democratic, egalitarian, radically inclusive (Black, queer, and feminist-led). My writing has become more experimental over time. Less greatest hits, more concept album. Great writing inspires me to write. I write when I have questions without answers and answers without good questions. I write to process trauma. I write to express joy. I often write about movement work and resistance, prisons, police, and other oppressive systems," he said.
"It is always a radical exercise in empathy and activism to share space with the poetry and spirit of Zachary Crow. I will never forget him winning first place at the Spa City Poetry Slam in 2018, during Arts & The Park. That was the last poetry slam Bud Kenny ever hosted, and it was a night to remember with Zach taking home the $300 prize. His poems lit sparks in every heart in the room. Not only is Zach's poetry fiery and inspiring, it compels people toward action, drives them to instigate their own biases and enact change, through compassion. His work at the helm of decARcerate, and even how he integrates poetry with that work, through the Inside Out project, which brings poetry by incarcerated people into the public audience -- nothing short of incredible. It's going to be a powerful and moving night," WNP Host Kai Coggin said in the release.
This week marks 1,738 consecutive Wednesdays of open mic poetry in downtown Hot Springs since Feb. 1, 1989. "WNP is the longest-running consecutive weekly open mic series in the country, now recently in partnership with Arkansas Learning Through the Arts, to share in the mission to spread arts awareness in our local community," the release said.
Email [email protected] for more information.