Thursday - August 14, 2008

7:00PM Artist / Wine Reception

7:30PM - 9:30PM Program

Jerome Vielman and Houston area poets and writers will bring the power of the spoken word to the Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) Literary Salon.

Go beyond reading - listen and engage. Come and enjoy local Houston poets including: Craig Butterworth, Asia Continental, Elijah Prophet, Jerome Vielman and Jerome Washington.

Craig Butterworth is an art teacher in Houston, Texas who has been published in the Houston Poetry Fest Anthology, the Poetry Peddler, White Pelican, the Austin International Poetry Fest Anthology, Tongue and a couple of other places he can't remember. He has many self-published books of poetry and reads at open mic venues around town.

Asia Jones (A.K.A Asia Continental) is a Houston based spoken word artist, music entrepreneuer, and social commentator. Asia Continental independently produced his maxi-single CD, K-Town, which explores the dichotomy between the Asian/Pacific American experience and struggles of Houston's Koreatown community.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Elijah Prophet is a Houston based writer and performer. Along with his passion for poetry and music, Elijah has written two works: a children's story called Bevo The Little Bear and The Unspoken Thoughts of Elijah.

Rising from Houston's Fifth Ward, artist and visionary Jerome Darwin Washington is on the front line helping to define the emerging urban culture in the Bayou City. He has won numerous slam titles and was a member of the 2004, 2005 and 2008 Houston Slam Team. Jerome Washington was featured at the 2008 Houston International festial and 2007 Miller Outdoor Theatre program where he opened and hosted for Legendary Amiri Baraka.

Jerome Vielman considered poetry as a testament to humanity's creative potential. "Poetry is a form of creative empowerment, a way we can truly communicate our stories, our lives." Through the Literary Salon, these writers seek to empower their communities through creative communication. A recipient of the HAA Individual Artist Grant in Performance Poetry, Vielman will host at the event and read from a collection of his poetry.

These Houston area poets and spoken word artists will bring the power of the spoken word to the Houston Arts Alliance's (HAA) Literary Salon.

With special music guests Andrew Karnavas and Clory Martin.

HAA will begin the event with a reception at 7:30pm, followed by the Literary Salon from 8 to 10pm.

An Open Mic will be included in the program to highlight local poets and spoken word artists in attendance.

The public is invited to join HAA for the reception and the salon.