True Stories and Poetry Wednesday in Grand Coteau

The Festival of Words presents “True Stories and Poetry” by Calletta Lewis and original works by The Baton Rouge Slam Team from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday, May 31, at Chicory’s Coffee and Café, 219 E. Martin Luther King Drive in Grand Coteau. 

Lewis, a native of Grand Coteau, will discuss her late father, Floyd Lewis, a former police officer of Grand Coteau.

The Baton Rouge Slam Team (Eclectic Truth) consists of four spoken word poets who competed for spots on the team. The group includes Brittany Marshall, Alekandro, Chelsea Lynn Murray and Shannon Kathleen. At their annual Grand Coteau performance, Eclectic Truth will hone their spoken word skills in preparation for a national poetry slam championship tournament, which takes place in August, in Denver, Colo. It is also a “friend-raiser” for the team. The performers appreciate the public’s encouragement and support; if visitors have a little spare change to help them in their travels, that is appreciated also.

The oral history presentation will be videotaped and placed in the Cajun and Creole Archives at the Center for Louisiana Studies in the “Grand Coteau Voices” collection. 

The public is welcome to bring their own poems, songs or stories for the open mic.  This free, community event is suitable for all ages and is sponsored by The Festival of Words Cultural Arts Collective with support from the Center for Louisiana Studies at UL. The venue is made available through the generosity of Chicory’s Coffee & Cafe.  For more information call Patrice (337) 254-9695 or festivalwords@gmail.com. 

Cheré Coen is the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country.” She writes Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.

Festival of Words presents evening of oral history, poetry

            The Festival of Words presents an evening of oral history and poetry with Julia Key and Julia B. Levine at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2014, in the Grand Coteau Ballroom, 162 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Grand Coteau.

            Key is a Grand Coteau native and co-author of  the article, “History of St. Peter Claver School.” She attended the School for Colored Children at Sacred Heart and St. Peter Claver Elementary, serving as valedictorian in the first graduating class of St. Peter Claver High School. Key will discuss her life as a student and teacher in these historic institutions from which many town leaders graduated. Her presentation will be videotaped and archived at the Center for Louisiana Studies in the Grand Coteau Voices collection.

            Levine has won numerous awards for her work, including the 2003 Tampa Review Prize for her collection, “Ask,” the 1998 Anhinga Poetry Prize and bronze medal from Foreword magazine for her first collection, “Practicing for Heaven,” as well as a Discovery/The Nation award. Her latest poetry collection, “Small Disasters Seen in Sunlight,” inaugurated the Barataria Poetry Series for LSU Press in  2014.  She received a PhD in clinical psychology from UC Berkeley, and lives and works in Davis, California.

            Participants may bring their own poems, songs or stories for the open mic and snacks or drinks to share. This free, community event is suitable for all ages and is sponsored by The Festival of Words Cultural Arts Collective. For more information, call Patrice Melnick at (337) 254-9695 or festivalwords@gmail.com. 

Cheré Coen is the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.