Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Tribute for Ancestor poet Louis Reyes Rivera


Flowing River of Words
Annual Tribute Event for Louis Reyes Rivera

Saturday, May 16
The Nuyorican Poets Cafe
236 Third Avenue, Manhattan
6:30 - 8:30 PM


Every year, the National Writers Union features four emerging poets who were personally selected by close associates of Louis Reyes Rivera. These four artists are given the extraordinary opportunity to read their original works to the accompaniment of professional jazz musicians in a prominent venue. This year, the poets are Cesilie Anandi, Cypress Preston Jackson, Nkosi Nkululeko, and Meriam Rodriguez. Carolyn Butts and Layding Kaliba will also be honored with the 2015 Louis Reyes Rivera Excellence Award for Educator Artists. We're thrilled to announce that UpSurge! Jazz will be performing too! This event was funded in part by Poets & Writers, Inc., with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

Tickets: $15 in advance/ $20 at the door. Event tickets are available for sale through The Nuyorican Poets Cafe Box Office.
Call 212‐780‐9386 or visit
nuyorican.org.


Can't attend? Please consider making a donation so this event can continue.
http://louis2015tribute.eventbrite.com. Thank you!

About Louis Reyes Rivera
Known as the Janitor of History, poet/essayist Louis Reyes Rivera began studying his craft in 1960 and teaching in 1969 after co-founding The Paper, an institution brought forth as a result of the 1969 Student Takeover of City College. Rivera was born May 19, 1945, in Brooklyn, the oldest of 12 children. Considered by many as a necessary bridge between the African and Latino American communities, he was a professor of Pan-African, African-American, Caribbean and Puerto Rican literature and history whose essays and poems appeared in numerous publications, including his own Scattered Scripture. Before his passing on March 2, 2012, he completed an epic poem, Jazz in Jail (unpublished) and translated Clemente Soto Velez's Broomstick Stallion. The recipient of over 20 awards, Rivera assisted in the publication of well over 200 books and frequently performed with his own band, The Jazzoets.

Learn more!
Article by award-winning journalist Herb Boyd
"Inside the River of Poetry" essay
Fascinating Interview


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