Upcoming Events
- Book Release: Best Minds: How Allen Ginsberg Made Revolutionary Poetry from Madness by Dr. Stevan Weine, MD – April 1st, 2023
- Live! at TMB: Open Mic Night – April 8th, 2023
- Movie Night: Midnight Cowboy (1969) – April 22nd, 2023
- Book Club Discussion Meeting: The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi – April 30th, 2023
Happy spring, Third Minders!
We had a busy March, and losing an hour of sleep is never fun. We were thrilled with the interest we saw in our events this month. A big thank you to Empty Mug Records for their amazing co-sponsorship of our Live! at TMB: Open Mic Night this month. A great groups of performers and writers came out to represent the local scene, and we love the variety of talent that we always see. We hope to see you all again next month!
The University of Michigan 27th Annual Comparative Literature Intra-Student Faculty Forum (C.L.I.F.F.) Conference was the same weekend, and we hosted Dr. Joy James on March 10th for a book signing and reading. We’ve only got a couple copies of the book left in the store, so get one while you can; it’s called In Pursuit of Revolutionary Love: Precarity, Power, Communities, and seeks to mend the seemingly-irreconcilable conflicts in our society with knowledge of the life and humanity that we all share. We hope everyone who attended enjoyed the discussion with Dr. James, and thanks to the C.L.I.F.F. Conference and the U-M Comparative Literature department for allowing us to host.
Our Movie Night on the 25th was full of surprises! We watched The Day of the Locust (1975), and our owner, Arthur, brought in some real props from the movie, as well as an original first edition of the Nathanael West novel from 1939. Next month, we’ll be screening Midnight Cowboy (1969) by the same director, John Schlesinger. The novel by James Leo Herlihy is available in store if you want to read before you watch.
April is National Poetry Month!
The Academy of American Poets offers 30 Ways to Celebrate this month, and #12 seems like an excellent idea to me.
“Launched by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996, National Poetry Month is a special occasion that celebrates poets’ integral role in our culture and that poetry matters.”
National Poetry Month, Poets.org
Our Feature Sale will include poets such as Allen Ginsberg, Tom Clark, Ted Berrigan, Charles Plymell, Joe Napora, Charles Olson, and MORE. Online and in-store, dozens of items will be 10%-30% off!
Around Ann Arbor…
April will bring to close the winter semester for students of our beloved universities. Congratulations to all graduating students and best of luck! Summertime is around the corner, and we cannot wait.
The construction on Main Street will be ongoing through August, and the William to Liberty block will remain closed through April. The Liberty to Huron block will be closed next. The project is progressing as planned though some weather delays have affected the schedule minimally. Work will be occurring on Saturdays to expedite the duration of the project. More information about the project and its progress can be found here.
Throughout the duration of the mess, Main Street Ann Arbor is promoting Can You Dig It?, a collection of special offers and deals from the businesses in the area. The Bucket List Challenge has kicked off, so check-in at participating business to collect buttons and be entered to win more prizes! Construction always drives down traffic, so any support you can offer to these businesses would be greatly appreciated!
Starting April 1st, every time you dine, sip or shop at a participating downtown Ann Arbor business, you can dig for treasure & win a scratch off card with treasures redeemable at participating businesses around Main Street, Ann Arbor!
The 52nd Annual Hash Bash will be held April 1st, 2023 on the U-M Diag. If you’ve never been or heard of Hash Bash, it is one of the largest public demonstrations in support of cannabis legal reform. The original purpose was the protest of harsh drug laws after the 1969 arrest and conviction of our friend John Sinclair (seen below at the poetry reading and discussion we held in November). The law in question was declared unconstitutional in 1972 after widespread protest, including the John Sinclair Freedom Rally rally hosted by John Lennon and Yoko Ono at Crisler Arena in December 1971. Three days following this rally, John Sinclair was released, and the first Hash Bash (first known as the “High Noon March”) in support of cannabis legalization came to fruition three months later.
52 years later, Michigan is one of 23 U.S. states and territories to have legalized recreational use of cannabis. Hash Bash now is a gathering in celebration of this success and a continued demonstration in support of national decriminalization of the plant, removing it as a Schedule 1 drug, and expunging convictions related to non-violent cannabis offenses. An excellent organization called the Last Prisoner Project is fighting the discriminatory policies and advocating for the release of unjustly incarcerated humans. Learn more and support their cause here.
