Wordlights: Saturday Poetry Evenings

Wordlights Saturday poetry evenings presented by Nova PDX, Rocking Frog Cafe and hosted by Igor Brezhnev.

On Saturday May 25th, we’ll have a feature from Bella, two mini features from Bri G & Nastashia Minto, and a short set poetry open mic!

OUR FEATURE: Bella

Bella is Southern California grown, and found herself in Portland after a few things went wrong, (or completely right if you ask her now). She began writing poetry in 2017 after watching a slam performance that was supposed to inspire her not to give up after almost getting evicted out of her apartment (she didn’t get evicted, so the inspiration worked). The first time she performed was in 2018, at Portland Poetry Slam. Her poetry centers around her experiences being a woman of color, abusive relationships, her eating disorder, and the hope between it all. She is the 2019 Portland Poetry Grand Slam Champion, and has featured at WeMake Disrupt Conference, Invisible Spectrums, Intersect Festival, Eugene Poetry Slam, Ori Art Gallery, Whitenoise, and various pop up art shows. When not writing she is masterminding outfits for her next random outing, running, or exploring a new coffee shop. She also enjoys breakfast for lunch or dinner because she is a rebel. Above all she hopes to create impactful art that creates important conversations.

MINI FEATURES FROM:
Bri G.
Bri G is a Portland poet who is living the damn dream! Bri has been in competitions and read on stages across Portland and beyond. She believes deeply in accessible art, and loves to watch all her artsy friends flourish wildly. She recently released her first chap book There’s Room for You Here which touches on self love, relationships, and god stuff. Bri is currently studying creative writing and publishing at PSU, until formal education breaks her spirit. Most importantly she believes in you.

Nastashia Minto
Nastashia Minto is an African American woman who was born in South Georgia and raised there by her grandparents. She grew up in poverty and around drugs, alcohol, and family violence. Her life experiences led her to obtain an associate’s degree in occupational therapy and a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She has been writing since she was nine years old and has found that her writing offers her another way to help people. Currently residing in Portland, Oregon her debut book of poetry was published February 28th 2019 by Eldredge Books. Nastashia has been a featured at many popular local reading series, including Unchaste Readers, Grief Rites, and Incite. Her writing has been published in SUSAN the journal, Unchaste Anthology, volume III and forthcoming in Portland Metrozine.

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Sign-ups start at 5:30, show starts at 6PM. On second and fourth Saturdays each performer in the open mic gets 5 minutes, there are only 8 slots available and the list order is randomized.

Come share your words and join us for a night of open mic, a great feature and plenty of snacks and booze 🍻

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Rocking Frog Cafe is an independently run, local gem in the lower Belmont District of southeast Portland. Nestled in a lovely early-century Craftsman-style bungalow, we offer a comfortable place to study, eat and socialize. Find out more about The Rocking Frog at rockingfrogpdx.com.

NovaPDX is a talent and production company based in Portland, Oregon. We organize and host performance and educational events, showcasing local and visiting musicians, poets and comedians. Our mission is to create spaces where talent thrives. Learn more about us at novapdx.org.

Your host, Igor Brezhnev is a poet, an author, an artist and a book designer among his other sins. He is roaming the West Coast thinking up new art, books and helping shape creative projects. You can find out more about Igor at igorbrezhnev.com