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An Evening with Langston Hughes Poetry

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Wed, 01/27/2010 - 21:36 — Asherart

 


An Evening with Langston Hughes

Arts Council of Kern, Kern County Library present poetry and jazz performance in celebration of Black History Month
Wayne CookWhat: An Evening with Langston Hughes

When: 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, February 19

Where: Beale Memorial Library, 701 Truxtun Avenue

Admission: Free, with donations welcome

RSVP: 324-9000

Co-sponsored by the Kern County Library and the Arts Council of Kern

In observance of Black History Month, the Arts Council of Kern and the Kern County Library are hosting a thought-provoking Langston Hughes poetry reading by Wayne Cook. Hughes was one of the first poets to fuse jazz music into his poetry with syncopated rhythms and repetitive phrases. Cook, a Sacramento-based actor and teacher, will perform selected works by Hughes, and will be accompanied by bassist Glen Fong.

"An evening with Wayne Cook is sheer delight," says Arts Council of Kern Executive Director Jeanette Richardson Parks, who has had the opportunity to attend workshops with him. "He stretches your imagination and brings you right into the mind and spirit of Langston Hughes."


The jazz accompaniment will bring an additional component to the performance. Glen Fong is a local bassist who performs with many local jazz groups.


The poetry and jazz performance is partially funded through the James Irvine Foundation and the California Arts Council. The event is free, with donations accepted. Please RSVP to 324-9000.
The Arts Council of Kern, in partnership with the California Arts Council, the County of Kern and local agencies - provides, supports, and promotes arts access, advocacy, and education for all residents and visitors to Kern County.

for more Kern Arts Council Art Happenings go to: http://www.kernarts.org/

Comments

Thu, 01/28/2010 - 07:25 — DianeRomanticPoet
DianeRomanticPoet's picture

A great poet...

This sounds like a good venue.  We will try to attend, should work out.  Our poetry community should support things like this, wish we had more interest up here.  Terri, are you going? 

Fri, 01/29/2010 - 01:11 — Asherart
Asherart's picture

I am leaning that way...

 I am thinking about going. You wanna go? I'll know more when the time draws nearer. We could carpool! 

Thu, 01/28/2010 - 15:08 — A Fan - Visitor

We'll be out of town visiting

We'll be out of town visiting my sister. I hope some of our photographers attend this venue.
S.A.

Thu, 01/28/2010 - 15:55 — tom
tom's picture

great news terri friday feb 19 seven to nine in baks, yes

this will be a treat, particularly with the music.  langston hughes is a major american poet.  his work is as alive today as ever, and just as needed as it was in the revolutionary days when he wrote.  heartbeat, drum, music, yes.        

 

thanks terri  :)

Fri, 01/29/2010 - 07:38 — DianeRomanticPoet
DianeRomanticPoet's picture

Please

take pics and support venue, unfortunately an unexpected change came up and we cannot attend===sorry, Terri, it sounds great and we have so little poetry in Kern County. Enjoy, Tom, and report back.

Tue, 02/16/2010 - 09:48 — mathnerde
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I'm planning

on going to this.

Tue, 02/16/2010 - 12:36 — BAKO ARTS
BAKO ARTS's picture

 Can you take pictures

 Can you take pictures Mathnerde???

Tue, 02/16/2010 - 13:14 — mathnerde
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I'll take my camera

and if they allow photographs I'll get a few.

Tue, 02/16/2010 - 13:24 — Asherart
Asherart's picture

Carpool?

Mr. Math ... Can we maybe arrange for a car pool if this is convenient? Please email or facebook me and let me know if this fits into the particulars. 

Tom, are you still interested in going too? 

(Busy week performing art-wise ...Hughes in Baks, Camille at BeeKay, Chris Proctor in BVS, and other field trips. No wonder why I haven't been able to finish the xhtml and css class that I was taking! ...oh, what's one more course session, right?)

Sat, 02/20/2010 - 09:21 — mathnerde
mathnerde's picture

Great Show

Wayne Cook did a wonderful job bringing the poems to life.

Langston’s Poetry
America’s deferred dreams
some are still waiting

 

 

Sat, 02/20/2010 - 11:29 — BAKO ARTS
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 GREAT PICS Mathnerde!!!  

 GREAT PICS Mathnerde!!!    Thanx   Was there a good turnout???

Sat, 02/20/2010 - 18:09 — mathnerde
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Pretty good.

Over 100 people showed up. There was a short "tease" of a couple CSUB students reading from a play one of them had written. And another young man reaing some information about Langston Hughes.

Sat, 02/20/2010 - 13:09 — Sparks
Sparks's picture

Those are awesome pics Math. 

Those are awesome pics Math.  Dayum the last one you may want to send to his website...  His eyes tell a story.

Sat, 02/20/2010 - 18:06 — mathnerde
mathnerde's picture

Yeah.

Finally had some decent light...

Sat, 02/20/2010 - 17:47 — WTF
WTF's picture

 What is the white stuff on

 What is the white stuff on his face???

Sat, 02/20/2010 - 18:06 — mathnerde
mathnerde's picture

Stage Make-up

The poems he picked for dramatizing/reading ended with one where he'd "returned" to Africa. This symbolized that heritage.

Sat, 02/20/2010 - 19:16 — Asherart
Asherart's picture

Ditto what Math said, and ...

 Yeah, it was sort of like going back to his roots and at the same time pointedly expressing his observation of the insanity that the oppressive (not just that of being white) culture of society possesses. His poetry struck me as exclaiming dignity and yet not disdaining (no finger pointing) towards the obvious offenders of humanity.

A very gracious man with a clear vision and an innate sense of just what IS right and wrong. Makes ya really wonder why and how governments, and some individuals, just don't get it!!!

It was a very heartening performance!

~Terri