NEW DAY! WEDNESDAY!
NEW LOCATION! REDBUD BOOKS!
Join us as we continue the 2026 series
OPEN MIC following the features
WEDNESDAY, JULY 8
6pm EST
featuring Indiana Beat Poet Laureate Chris Dean &
poet Michael Duckwall
music by Tommy Bays
Sponsored in part by the Bloomington Arts Commission and the Bloomington Urban Enterprise Association
CHRIS DEAN (State of Indiana Beat Poet Laureate 2025-2027) is a storyteller, spoken word artist and self-proclaimed Magpie Poet who writes from the heart of Indiana where they live with their husband, dog, and too many cats to mention. Along with Wendy Cartwright, Chris is co-founder of Keeping the Flame Alive Press. Their work has been featured online, in multiple print anthologies, and they are the author of two books of poetry: “Tales From a Broken Girl” and “We’re All Stories in the End,” published by Storeylines Press.
MICHAEL E. DUCKWALL was born and raised in the Ohio Valley. A featured poet at the 10th Gonzofest in 2023, he took off and hit the ground running as part of the production team for a 57-hour non-stop “Insomniacathon” music and poetry event in Louisville KY in 2024. Michael’s poetry, artwork, and photography have been in a handful of magazines and anthologies, along with numerous online features. He has a couple of chapbooks—“Ramblings of a Recovering Poet” and “7.2 SkullQuake”—in publication and one limited-edition co-authored chapbook, “Kraken Nuts” (w/ Chad M. Horn), you may have missed out on.
TOMMY BAYS is an eclectic singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with a passion for the written word and long funky grooves. He hails from the Louisville KY and southern Indiana area and is a member of US Lifetime National Beat Poet Laureate Ron Whitehead’s Storm Generation Band. Tommy has been performing music with poets for many years, including at events produced by Keeping the Flame Alive. He is working his debut solo album and wants you to know before he performs these 3 things: you can feel good, we want you to be happy, and you can still have fun. Surrender to the flow.
