Poetry reading: Rag Talk

Writer's Block | November 17th, 2017

This Friday will be the last chance to take part in a poetry reading hosted by The Poetry Rag and the Drumconrath Brewing Company in Mapleton. Rag Talk has been held every Friday since October 20 and is free and open to the public.

In addition to scheduled readers, there will be an open mic period for anyone wanting to participate. Participants are free to bring poetry, short stories, or works of creative nonfiction, and enjoy the varieties of craft beer.

The Poetry Rag has been in circulation as a free monthly journal since October of last year. It can be found in small businesses throughout Moorhead, Fargo, and Grand Forks. Popular venues include coffee shops, bookstores, and record stores. Online issues are also available in PDF format on thepoetryrag.net.

Its creators are editor Kendra Smith and local musician Joe Bertrand of the Brothers Bertrand. The Poetry Rag was founded on the incentive of letting writers have creative control, as opposed to changing their work to make it acceptable for publication.

“The Rag started out of frustration,” Bertrand has said. “Working with other publishers can be a real drag. I found their rules and themes created very small boxes to write in. I decided self-publishing would better suit my needs… but as I wrote and typed up the first issue of The Rag, I realized there must be a lot of poets in my community that feel the same way. I added submissions, and it became one of the best aspects of The Poetry Rag.”

The Poetry Rag has a high acceptance rate and considers all forms of poetry for publications. No poem is turned down on the basis of subject, style, or format.

“I don’t like messing with someone else’s work,” said Bertrand, “unless we catch a typo or a misspelled word. If I edit a poem, it’s double-checked with the poet and okayed by them… All you poets out there: say what you want, write what you feel, and absolutely don’t hold back!”

Drumconrath Brewing Company, which was opened in October of last year by Sam and Kelly Corr, specializes in Irish beer. Though the Corrs originally wanted to open a brewery in Fargo, they decided to place it in a location where commuters from Fargo can stop on their way home.

Other events at this brewery have included trivia nights, bingo nights, political meet-and-greets, and visits from food trucks such as The Dog Father and Texas Q BBQ.

IF YOU GO:

Ragtalk poetry/lit reading

Friday, November 17, 7pm

Drumconraith Brewing Company, 349 Knutson St, Mapleton ND

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