Northwest Arkansas slam poet Houston Hughes will read at 6 p.m. April 9, for the Village on the Lakes Writers and Poets Second Saturday readings at the Artist Retreat Center.
Slam poetry is also called performance poetry. Poets deliver their work with gusto and punch. It's fun for the audience and there's always a bit of the unexpected.
Hughes includes comedy, drama, tragedy, storytelling and political commentary. He has a tremendous stage presence, which lends his words even more power. Hughes was introduced to poetry slam in 2006. By 2010 he was among the finalists at the Individual World Poetry Slam, which placed him among the top 12 performance poets in the world. In 2012 he was instrumental in bringing the highly successful Individual World Poetry Slam to Arkansas for the first time ever. The following year, he was invited to be part of the prestigious TEDx program, where he spoke on why art must remain accessible to everyone. That same year, he founded Last Saturday Fayetteville, a variety show and poetry slam which continues today on the last Saturday of every month. He currently serves as slam master and emcee for Last Saturday.
Hughes often collaborates with other artists and has produced stage works with musicians, dancers, culinary artists, burlesque groups and more. He has toured the U.S. and has opened for a variety of nationally-known acts, such as Saul Williams and Otep. He currently serves as chair of the Fayetteville Arts Council and is the programming coordinator for the New Year's Eve music and arts festival Last Night Fayetteville. He will release a new album this spring that includes collaborations with musicians Randall Shreve, Cosmic American and others.
Hughes' reading will be followed by an open mic for anyone who wants to read their work before an audience. The event is free and open to everyone, but reservations are requested by calling 479-268-6463. The Artist Retreat Center is at 13467 Lookout Drive in Old Bella Vista.
Community on 04/06/2016