>
>On Tuesday, October 17, 2000 at 6:30 pm in the City Council Chambers on the
>2nd floor of the Municipal Building at 301 River Park Drive in East St.
>Louis, Drumvoices Revue, the English Department of Southern Illinois
>University at Edwardsville, the Eugene B. Redmond Writers Club, East St.
>Louis Project, Black River Writers Press and the East Saint Louis Cultural
>Revival Campaing Committee sponsored a double event:
>
>The 10th Annual BREAK WORD WITH THE WORLD (Poeting With a Purpose) and
>the book party for DRUMVOICES REVUE 2000 (15 City "urban Words" Issue:
>Foreword by Maya Angelou)
>
>When I first started going "cross the water"--what we St. Louisans call
>visiting East St. Louis, I was a child visiting various churches with my
>parents.  When I grew old enough to go myself, it was to go to dances and
>joints--the Blue Note.  The Safari Room.  Later I went to work.  Finally I
>went to seek art--readings sponsored by the Eugene B. Redmond writers
>club--there I first saw Yusef Komunyakaa, Luis Rodriguez, Haki Madhbuti and
>Terry McMillain.
>
>The affair of October 17th had characteristics of all four types of visits.
>
>BREAK WORD WITH THE WORLD is an anuual boycott of the media/information
>event organized by P.E.N. of Oakland California under the leadership of
>Ishmael Reed.  It features readings of works (which usually have as their
>theme the unfair treatment of different genders, races, nationalities,
>peoples, sexual orientations, or just plain joes and jains in the media)
>which are collected and then published in a chapbook. DRUMVOICES REVUE is a
>literary magazine which is published by the Eugene B. Redmond Writer's club
>and the English Department of SIU at Edwardsville.  The 2000 issue features
>185 poets many of whom are cyberdrummers.
>
>The event took place in the East St. Louis City Hall.  When is the last
>time
>your town had a literary event in the city hall?  The Mayor, the Honorable
>Deborah Powell graced us with her presence and some stirring words--when is
>the last time the mayor of your town dropped into a poetry reading?
>
>All this was indicative of the Spirit of East St. Louis and the respect and
>reverance accorded Eugene B. Redmond, the Soular System Organizer and the
>Poet Laureate of East St. Louis.
>
>The particpants represented the multi-cultural, interracial, full gender
>participation philosophy of the Club and founder.
>
>Black, white, male, female, young, old, all were represented.
>
>Professor Redmond officiated; Tondra Mosely, Roscoe Crenshaw, Yvonne Udoh,
>Rosemary Monaco, Sherman Fowler, Cheryl Smith Walker, Wayne Laner, Debra
>"Fo
>Feet" Warren, Daveed Nelson (of the original Last Poets), Donna Biffar,
>Marcus Atkins, Charlois Lumpkin, Yours truly, Allison Funk, Mildred
>Anderson, and Madame President, Darlene Roy performed in front of a packed
>audience in which Hari Sky Campbell was in attendance.
>
>There were refreshments and a hallelujah good time was had by all.  I
>personally received, as Little Richard says, "Great recompense of reward"
>by
>attending.
>
>Tapes and photographs were made of the event.  Those readers above who
>appeared in DRUMVOICES revue 2000 read their contributions thereto, and you
>can obtain these in copies of the magazine.  All other works performed will
>appear in the next issue of BREAK WORD WITH THE WORLD.
>
>Back issues of both publications are available.
>
>Contact
>
>Eugene B. Redmond Writers Club of East St. Louis, Illinois
>P.O. Box 6165
>East St. Louis, IL  62202
>
>or
>
>Department of English Language and Literature
>Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
>Box 1431
>Edwardsville, IL  62026-1431
>
>Chris Hayden

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