Building Spoken Word Communities
Join Iowa poetry community leaders as they discuss what it means to build community, how to do it, and the experiences they’ve learned from. This FREE panel is for anyone interested in getting more connected with poetry in Iowa and/or hoping to contribute to their local poetry community. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, you just have to find those already on a roll!
With: Caleb Rainey, Mister Aubs, Kelsey Bigelow, Linda Muller
Date: Saturday, November 15
Time: 4:30-5:30 pm
Location: Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A, 123 S. Linn St, Iowa City, IA
Registration not required: Walk in FREE.
Caleb "The Negro Artist" Rainey
Caleb “The Negro Artist” Rainey is an author, performer, and event producer. His debut book, Look, Black Boy, was awarded first prize in the North Street Book Prize, and his second book, Heart Notes was published in 2019. He released two spoken word albums and produced his first short film, Willing to Grow, as a part of the Brucemore Artisan Studio program. In 2024 Caleb was the recipient of the Iowa Author Award for Poetry. Within the same year, Nik Heftman and The Seven Times production company created an award winning documentary about Caleb titled, The Negro Artist. Caleb is the winner of several slams across the United States, and competed in the 2023 UNESCO Slam-0-Vision global poetry slam where he ranked 7th worldwide. Videos of his performances can be found on his youtube channel, Write About Now, and Button Poetry. When he is not writing and performing he is actively curating a community of spoken word poets in Iowa City through his high school program, IC Speaks, and producing events like the Mic Check Poetry Fest.
Mister Aubs
Aubrey Barnes, nationally known as "Mister Aubs," hails from the city of Rock Island, Illinois. His journey in the realm of poetry, writing, and education has left an indelible mark on both local and international communities.
Cosigned by world-renowned poets of various different cultures, such as Dr. Madhubuti of the historical Black Arts Movement era, and Black Chakra, the most decorated slam poet in the US, Mister Aubs. is not only known to be one of the best writers in this art form, but as a powerful thought provoking creative and captivating performer, educator, and founder of Young Lions Roar. Through his poetry, writing, and educational endeavors, Aubrey Barnes continues to weave a narrative that transcends boundaries, fostering a world enriched by the beauty and power of the spoken word.
Kelsey Bigelow
Kelsey Bigelow is a poet and speaker based in Des Moines. She spends her time working as a mental health poet sharing this therapeutic tool with audiences of all ages across the world. She is the author of four poetry projects, including her latest book "Far From Broken." Her work is published with several small presses and journals. Kelsey is a 2024 Pushcart Prize nominee, a 2023 Button Poetry Video Contest Finalist, and a 2023 Central Avenue Poetry Prize finalist. As a performer, Kelsey has worked with organizations such as The Mayo Clinic, NAMI, Planned Parenthood, and more. Videos of her work can be found on Button Poetry, Write About Now, Ghost Poetry Show, and elsewhere.
She's the founder of the Des Moines Poetry Workshop, the chair for the Iowa Poetry Association Poetry Slam, a teaching artist in the Des Moines community, a director for the BlackBerry Peach National Poetry Slam, and a founding member of the 2025 io-what poetry slam team.
Linda Muller
Linda MJ Muller lives in Iowa City and works as an accountant at the University of lowa. Founder of the local poetry slam, Linda also serves on the lowa City Poetry Advisory Council.
Her poetry can be found in Prompt Press’ Prompt for Autonomy; Lyrical lowa; Writers' Rooms Anthology: Writers of the Depths; University of lowa Writing Center's "Voices"; Riza Press' "Project Healthy Love.” and the online gallery The Anti-Misogyny Club.
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