the 2012 Black History Month Poetry performance
featuring Anna Marie Sprowl, Shevonna Blackshire, Lawrence Dinkins, VS Chochezi, Mario Ellis Hill, and Terry Moore
Monday, February 13 at 7:30 PM
1719 25th Street
Host: Emmanuel Sigauke
Anna Marie Sprowl has been writing and performing poetry for years. Her work ranges from the political to the domestic – her pieces provide both warmth and fire for the reader. Anna Marie’s poetry flows with a smooth style and grace; she fills both pages and stages with her life experiences. Never shy to self-expression, she seeks to see understanding in the eyes of her audiences. Anna Marie has performed at The Show and Underground Books, as well as the Crocker Art Museum, The Guild Theater, and Jazz and Poetry 2010 with the Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet.
V.S. Chochezi has resided in Sacramento for more than 20 years. For most of that time she has shared poetry and spoken word at countless venues including colleges and universities, K-12 educational centers, festivals and poetry features. She has been published in numerous publications including Speak, Write, Dream an anthology of contributions from ZICA members, available on LULU.com. ZICA is a Sacramento based creative arts and literary guild with an eclectic, national membership. Chochezi also has been published in several issues of Drum Voices Revue, a publication from Southern Illinois University, Sierra College’s literary journal and Poetry Now, a Sacramento Poetry Center publication to name a few. When not writing and sharing poetry, Chochezi teaches public speaking and works as an editor, journalist, leadership development trainer and Myers Briggs Type Indicator practitioner. She holds a bachelor’s in journalism, a master’s in communication studies and is pursuing a doctoral degree in education.
Performance poet Terry Moore is one of America’s favorite spoken word artists. He has featured with and opened up for some of the world’s top entertainers! He is the host of two of Northern California’s longest running and most successful poetry venues. He has won five “Best Spoken Word Artist” awards, appeared on the world famous Showtime at the Apollo, hosted and won poetry slams, hosted numerous events, been in movies, coordinated workshops for men, women and children of all ages and races and is a household name in the spoken word community. This multi-published, multi-recorded, multi-talented man, father, activist is nationally recognized, appreciated and respected.
Shevonna Blacksire, contributing poetry editor of Munyori Literary Journal, has been a creative writer/poet since the age of 8. She watched the 1990’s movie about spoken word poetry called “Love Jones” and was inspired to start her own open mic at Touch a’ Class nightclub in Sacramento in the late 1990’s. Her motto is “Say What You Feel and Feel What You Say!”.
Lawrence Dinkins (NSAA) is a dynamic performance poet. He has recorded two CDs: NSAA Live: Lightning in a Bottle, and the 2010 release ElectroPoeticCoffee, with guitarist Ross Hammond. He also hosts a poetry series the third Monday of every month at the Mahogany Poets Series, at Queen Sheba’s Restaurant at 17th and Broadway. In addition to his poetry and performance work, Lawrence serves on the board of the Sacramento Poetry Center, and works as a graphic artist and web designer in Sacramento.
Mario Ellis Hill (AKA. Poetry Machine) is a Sacramento poetry scene Icon. He host the longest running poetry venue in Sacramento @ Luna’s Cafe the first Monday of every month plus he is 1 of 4 poets in the jazz-poetry-fusion band “Foshang”.
