“Sights and Sounds” is our weekly guide to the Bay Area arts scene through the eyes and ears of local artists. On this episode, host Jenee Darden speaks with poet, director, and co-founder of the Beast Crawl Literary Festival Youssef Alaoui.
The Beast Crawl Literary Festival takes place on Saturday July 27. There will be readings in about a dozen small businesses around Downtown Oakland.
BAM House
BAM stands for “Black Arts Movement.” BAM House is the home of the Lower Bottom Playaz theater group. Their founder is Oakland Poet Laureate Ayodele Nzinga.
“The Kitchen Table”
Block Community Club
“The Kitchen Table” asks, “What feeds your body and mind?” San Francisco poet and activist Kevin Dublin is hosting.
“MARHABA”
Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment
“Marhaba” means “welcome” in Arabic. This reading features writers from the Middle East and North Africa. This is the first time Beast Crawl has had an all MENA lineup. Youseef co-curated this event.
Beast Crawl happens on Saturday July 27 in Downtown Oakland, from 4-10pm.
