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Open Secret! That sweet democracy of an open mic, every Wednesday underground @ Le Bistrot des Artistes, 6 rue des Anglais (a teeny-tiny secret passage that married boulevard Saint Germain & rue Lagrange, but happily ever after ~ turn at the Twickenham Pub) in the Latin Quarter of paradisal Paris. 🙂
At 8pm, nightlong sign-up feels a wrenching in its heart ~ like falling in love ~ & at 9 it writes its own poetic wedding ceremony…Métro Maubert-Mutualité (line 10) or Saint-Michel (line 4). Your own personal lab for experimental writing, song, comedy, performance art, theater, dance & as-you-like-it! Make something! 🙂
Our theme this week is “Wake up & smell the coffee!” I think you know to whom I speak – the country our special guest poet, Malik Crumpler, describes in one of his poems as the “United Hates of America.” Malik is profoundly gifted & accomplished (see bio below). I also chose the theme because of his poem(s)about coffee, one of which was captured on film on Open Secret’s one year anniversary (this past January) for a documentary on the underground open mic scene in Paris. He’s stellar! So let’s wake up & smell the coffee together…
Even Ezra Pound, that bastard, with his endless anti-Semitic radio broadcasts in Italy, wrote that he had left “a half-savage country.” Well, folks, we can see it’s more than half…When I left the US&A (yes, a nod to Borat!) I never looked back, having wanted to move to Paris all my life. I miss my mom & sisters Big Time.
Anywhooo, I think we can “do what we should – we’ve got to carry each other…” wherever we are. (Yes, I quote the magnanimous Irishman so many love to hate ~ I watch U2 concerts with my cat in my spare time. She purrs loudly!). In any case, come hear some great poetry that somehow reminds me of the lovely Turkish saying: “Good friendship is like good coffee – strong & hot & sweet.” Dig! 🙂
See you @ the Bistrot, friends!