Arts Festival- Live Poetry readings and the Open Mic

October 2, 2004 – Hollywood: In today’s warm afternoon breeze, poets came together in the Rose Garden Café during the Artists For A Better World 4th annual Arts Festival held on the beautiful grounds of Celebrity Center International. The live readings were open to any and all art lovers and were presented to a crowd of over fourty poets and poetry enthusiasts.

The event was kicked off with well-known, bi-coastal Poet, Alice Pero, who spends much of her time bringing her poetry and poetry books to both coasts America.

Famous Native American actor, George Randall, appeared and thrilled the crowd with his own readings.

Approximately fifteen different “voices,” read their favorite pieces to an appreciative and growing crowd. Included was the poetry debut of an 87-year woman who had just started writing poetry only a year ago, whereupon she wowed the crowd with her own masterpiece.

Poetess and workshop volunteer, Lois Jones, said, “I had a friend of mine come and read three of my poems. She did a beautiful job and in fact did such a great job on the last poem, ‘The Kiss,’ that a nearby painter/sculptor jumped up and said she would like to trade one of her pieces of art for my poem!”

Coordinator for this event, Leslie Silton, remarked: “In these days of hustle and bustle, it becomes increasingly more important, and more relevant, to have a safe haven in which to share the hard-won poems one digs out of one’s psyche. Somehow, poetry is one of the most intimate of arts — it burrows under the skin, it cools, flames, itches, demands — it’s a ‘high maintenance art’. You can’t be a spectator in the presence of poetry. I always feel the audience is on my side at these AFABW Poetry Readings. Nothing so pleases or makes my heart leap when the people in this particular audience laugh, smile, look inward a moment and nod, join in.”