Neisha Kelly
Capital City Book Fair took place on Saturday, May 14, 2016; it was beautiful day that seemed to envelope the city with an illustrious mixture of sunshine, love, and support.
On Warren Street it was busy and bustling with authors sharing their work with the capital city. It was a book fair and tables were surrounded with books and people. Authors had a platform to showcase their talent, network with other authors and various movers and shakers in the industry. Good food and the trolley served as an amazing back drop.
The arts are really thriving in our community. Trenton is ready to take the world by storm whether musically, lyrically, and any other artistic ability we possess.
There was also Trenton’s 2nd Annual Poetry Slam taking place on Warren Street. The weather seemed to want to pour on our heads but the rain stayed away as poets left their all on stage. Todd Evans hosted this event with his lovely co-host Latrice Marianno. The judges were Shakur Towns, Marvin Lewis, Marisa Benson, and Marion Parish. The time-keepers were Yolanda “Landy” Robinson and Gregory Bell, Sr. (affectionately known as Ice).
The participants were, in no particular order, Janae Stewart, Stacey Williams, Margaret Brown, Ada Ugoma Opara, Raul “Polo” Cortes, Jr., Neisha Kelly, Logic Johnson, and last but certainly not least Judith “Aunt Judy” McKnight. Special guests included: Janelle T. Harvey, Unknown Poet and Queen, and Afro. They each shared a piece of themselves with us beautiful songs and verses soon followed. Afro ended it with making you contemplate on the raisin in the sun and its fate.
It was quite the line-up yet it never felt like a competition. There were no big I’s and little U’s. We each cheered one another on. We are a tight knit family with an unbreakable bond. The 1 st round gave the audience a chance to wet their palette for a delicious variety of poetry. Each poet had a unique and innovative style that kept the audience informed, engaged, and of course entertained.
Up first was Aunt Judy with Christian values and wisdom. Next, there was a socially-conscious and very much aware Polo. Then, there was me the quiet and unassuming poet. Ada tore the stage up with her special brand of love. Logic made you pause while his words permeated into your brain and made you reflect and also think of his interesting take on life. Stacey was reflective and his testimony was inspiring and uplifting. Margaret was full of wisdom and her words not only resonated with you but they made you do some serious introspection.
As the rounds went on we started to become smaller in number. Although the group of competitors was decreasing the audience presence grew. In the end, three remained Stacey Williams, Raul “Polo” Cortes, Jr., and me. Stacey and I gracefully bowed out and applauded Polo on his win.
The top prize was $150 gift card and studio time with Exit 7A Studios. This is the second year Todd Evans has put on this remarkable event but each year the bar will be set even higher than the last. I anticipate next year I will see all of you there to see who is the Last Poet Standing?
Some audio captured during the Capital City Book Fair
https://soundcloud.com/trenton365/chad-leisse-author-billy-bear
The following images were captured by Amans Brindled during the Capital City Book Fair 2016
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