Bards & Brews Returns to Central Library March 2

Birmingham Public Library’s (BPL) popular Bards & Brews poetry performance and beer tasting series returns to its place of origin on Friday, March 2. Held the first Friday of each month, the March edition of Bards & Brews heads back home to the Central Library as an OPEN MIC event rather than a poetry slam. The musical entertainment will be provided by singer/songwriter and guitar player Kurt Jenkins beginning at 6:30 p.m. Brian “Voice Porter” Hawkins is the emcee. He will deftly guide both novice and veteran poets through an evening of verbal banter ranging from comic to social commentary starting at 7:00 p.m. The Central Library is located at 2100 Park Place.

Bards & Brews is one of the ways the Birmingham Public Library is reaching out to a younger demographic. The craft beer movement in which beer is elevated to the level of fine wine as something to be savored and appreciated has really taken hold especially among the younger generation. The pairing of beer tastings with the poetry slams—which have grown in popularity in recent years—makes the program a natural fit for the library. This combination has broad appeal. The slams held last year attracted some of the most diverse audiences BPL has had for any programming. Last month, more than 120 attended the program at the Avondale Regional Library.

Craft beer will be available for sampling along with light refreshments. You must be 18 to attend Bards & Brews and age 21 to sample the beer. IDs will be checked. This program is made possible by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, visit our website at www.bplonline.org or check us out on Facebook.