Poetry Festival at Cafe 7-10 Returns in Rhyme

Contributed

Local poet, business owner, and Erie Reader contributor Mabel Howard is hosting a Poetry Festival in conjunction with the Erie Art Museum’s Gallery Night. The evening will include open mic poetry, literary vendors, and generally highlighting the therapeutic nature of writing and performing poetry.

FRIDAY, JUN. 26

Writers, artists, and storytellers of the Flagship City will gather together to celebrate the poetry of Erie with A Poetry Festival at Cafe 7-10. Celebrating the art of words and expression, the festival brings local poetry to the forefront, stanza by stanza, inviting all community members to participate as both audience members and performers. Authors and publishers will be in attendance, with the event coinciding with Gallery Night. There will be open mic opportunities for performing poets and vendors selling their related items.

"I feel like there's like a storyline in my life of falling in love with poetry," Mabel Howard, owner of Cafe 7-10, founder of Black Girl Penning, and Erie Reader contributor, explained. "The people close in my life have always been active in the poetry community, or just personally incredible writers. You're secretly inspired by the works of others, even if you don't get a chance to tell them how amazing they are at the time."

Howard had been passionate about the literary arts throughout her life, with a special emphasis on poetry. In 2015, she started an initiative in Erie called Poetry and Soul Food, with the goal of creating a non-intimidating environment for poets to workshop their writing and help those who are shy about the microphone find their voice in a safe space.

Alongside hosting weekly poetry nights at Cafe 7-10 and exchanges through Werner Books, she also hosts the Healing Art of Writing workshop for the Northern Pennsylvania Regional College. The workshop has also been successful for Howard at the Erie County Regional Recovery Hub, focusing on helping people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction.  "Poetry is a way of healing; it is connection and community together."

The Erie poetry scene has gained substantial recognition over the years, with Howard's works featured in the inaugural Issue of Iconic: The Anthology of Erie Poets, published in collaboration between Gannon University and the Erie County Public Library. Howard hopes to expand the reach of poetry to "haikuing around the city" with tours focusing on public art. "They [could find] inspiration from seeing something beautiful on their drive to work, but they're just moving too fast to enjoy the beauty of our city."

Uplifting the work of her fellow storytellers and creating her own rhythm and rhyme, Howard hopes to continue raising awareness for the therapeutic power of poetry and all art forms within Erie. "I've worked with a lot of different types of artists. I feel like poets are overlooked in comparison to other artists. And I want to correct that. All art is equally valuable. When it comes to funding for the arts, we should always help support the writers and poets. Without their words, there are no stories."

5 to 9 p.m. // Cafe 7-10, 7 W. 10th St. // Free to attend, Vendors can register for $20 // For more info visit: facebook.com/cafe710