BAG presenting poetry and music this Friday

BAG has another free event coming up this Friday, November 2 featuring poetry from Alima Sadiq Afsal (also known as Sandra Reynolds Akins and as the wife of saxophonist Willie Akins) plus music from bassist/composer/mbira player Zimbabwe Nkenya. The program starts at 7 p.m. and will take place at what has become BAG's usual venue, the Rosebud Cafe at the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site.

Ms. Afsal/Akins' credits include founding the The New Creation Arts Center in East St Louis; helping to co-found the Eugene B. Redmond Writers Workshop; and live performances with the Soulard Culture Squad. Her work has been published in numerous anthologies and chapbooks, including a 1975 anthology with Margaret Hunt and Marcia Bowie titled The New Creation, published with support from SIU-Edwardsville. In 1985 she produced her own 45rpm record featuring the poems "I’m Talking to You Gal" and "From a Private Eye Point of View," and her CD, Poetic Butterfly Smiles, includes some tenor saxophone work from her talented husband.
Since 1989, she has written a weekly column for the East St. Louis Monitor.

BAG also has a fund-raiser coming up on November 12; watch this space for further details. For more information about Friday's performance, you can call the Scott Joplin House State Historic Site at 314-340-5790 or send email to bag_blackartistgroup@yahoo.com.