Dr. Javon Jackson

The New Citizens Press

Of course, our ultimate goal is to own our own club, he noted.     He expounded, "We wanted a complete entertainment experience; therefore, we offer a wide variety of acts such as poetry readings, live bands, DJs, and after parties".   Too Smooth For Notes was the featured band this October.  Previous performers were the band, Impulse; singer, Eddie Robinson; blues singer, Willie Cage; and, comic Debra Campbell.

Walker purported,  We average over 400 customers each event.  We attract Cooley law students, Michigan State University students, state employees, business people, GM employees, and retirees.  We also have a dress code.  Smith works for the Real Estate Division of the Michigan Department of Transportation for the last 16 years. He also has his own Michael Smith and Associates Real Estate firm for the last four years.  He also manages an apartment complex. 

For the last three years, Walker works for the Dakota Integrated Systems as a team lead area supervisor. He replied, ³We build the interiors for the CTS,  SRS,  and STS Cadillac Seville cars.²  Their event for October was entitled, A Smooth Jazz Showcase, featuring  Too Smooth For Notes from 7:00 p.m. to 11:15 p.m.; Happy Hour from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; a Poetry Reading from 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.; and,  DJ Butcher from 11:15 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.

 The lovely and extremely gifted Rina Risper recited two personal poems that she wrote especially for this event, which were entitled, "Wine Tasting"  and  "I Adore You".  Here is an excerpt  from I Adore You:   I adore you like the one chance you get to see the most beautiful sunset The sunset that you had no idea that you would be able to witness When lavender skies drip into the burnt orange streams of the heat created by its intention to light the other side of the world. My idols are W. Paulsen and R. Stokes they provide me with silent guidance.   My mother, Kay Carrington, is also encouraging me to write a book of poetry which will be printed in 2005 entitled Somewhere In Between, she stated. Rina started writing poetry in 2003, when she realized that poets may not show up at the poetry readings at Gregory's Ice and Smoke. 

Joe P. explained, "My first poem was entitled, "I'll Call You in a Week!"  This is a satire on the different games that males and females play against each other and how they hurt each other in the end. The second poem was entitled, The Count Down, which illustrated some of the fallacies that our government has been giving the masses to distract them from the facts at hand. Please support local culture in any form that you wish to.  Joe is a DJ on radio station 89.7FM, WLNZ .  His show, which is entitled, "Anatomy of Jazz", is broadcast every Wednesday from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  He added that it is the best station in Lansing.

The next poet was Sheldon Lewis, who asserted, My first selection was entitled, You're as Fine as Wine,¹ which is dedicated to and about the woman that I love.  My second poem was entitled, I Need to Write Some New Shit, which was about writer¹s bloc and about trying to speak on some of the issues going on in my life and in the world.  I love poetry.  Since I was nine years old, it is a part of whom I am. I appreciate people who come out and support poetry in Lansing.

The fourth poet was Nekesha Bell, who denoted, My first selection was entitled,  I'm Pissed, which was about my experiences through life as a young woman and people¹s reactions to having a family, and men¹s reactions to me. When We First Met, which was a little bit about myself and anyone who has a partner can read that poem to them because it talks about the feelings that you get when you first meet someone special.  Bell was a political science pre-law major at MSU.  She was the lead organizer of the Affirmative Action Movement at MSU.  She is the Central Michigan Regional Chairperson for Citizens for a United Michigan, which is a pro-affirmative action group.  She conducted a workshop for the Mayor¹s Initiative Youth Conference.  She works as a medical biller.  She has been a poet for 12 years.

The fifth poet was Richard Clement, who lamented, My poem was entitled, "The Undecided Voter", which was about putting an end to the hypocrisy in the bureaucracy on the marijuana laws.  He is the Director of Minority Affairs for the Michigan chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).   Clement is the webmaster for Quiet Tip Productions. 

He is also an independent computer contractor, who build computers and developed computer networking for the last 25 years.  He has worked for the State of Michigan and the City of Lansing.  He has worked as a substitute teacher in the Lansing School District and was a high school football referee.  He is an ardent Detroit Lions football fan.  He started writing poetry in 1974.  He played tuba in the Alabama State University bands.

Bill Morris retorted "I Love Black People" and "Diamonds", which was about a 1991 family reunion. Rina also recited an untitled poem written by a reader in  Texas named Fargus Amada. Quiet Tip Productions will hold their next First Friday events on November 5, 2004 and December 3, 2004 at  Club X-Cel.   A Christmas Party will be held on December 17th.   Club X-Cel is located at 224 S. Washington Square, Lansing Michigan.  The telephone number is (517) 719 0263.  The website address is www.quiettip.net.