Kim Ransom has performed at venues throughout the Chicagoland area including the House of Blues, Northwestern University, WGCI-FM Radio and WVAZ-FM(V103). She has also performed at pumpkin?s Coffee House in Connecticut. Tonight she will read from her first book of poems, The Black House. Body Rhythmist and Dance Africa local artists boogie will be accompanying Ms. Ransom this evening. Nikki Giovanni writes ?The Black House brings a lot of light to the emotions ad feelings of young people.? Kim is currently pursuing a Masters of Writing at DePaul University

Butterfly Harris is a Chicago poet, writer and lyricist. She is a poet of voice who explores the boundaries of fantasy and reality. Butterfly has performed at venues such as Afri-Ware, Boulevard Arts, South Side Community Arts, Chicago Authors Room at the Harold Washington Library and Around the Coyote. Publications include: TimBooktu, Streetwise, The Poet?s Page, A Room Without Walls, and Poets Society. She is currently mahoring in International Studies at loyola University, and continues writing.

In The Spirit.

Nine years ago, vocalist Glenda Zahra Baker and storyteller Emily Hooper Lansana met in a feminist and childern?s bookstore in Chicago. This was a fitting site for the birth of their performance duo. Their repertoire contains adaptations of African and African-American folktales, Historical Narratives, feminist and children?s Poetry, spiritual music and original work. Performance highlights include: The Chicago Children?s Museum, DePaul University, The National Association of Black Storytellers Festival, and The Field Museum of Natural History (Chicago)

Emily Hooper Lansana, a graduate of Yale University in Theater Studies has been bring ing words to life since child hood. Emily performs with Glenda Baker in the highly acclaimed and popular performance duo ?In The Spirit,? and is also a member of the respected performance group Kuntu Drama. Emily has worked as a teaching artist in the Chicago Public Schools and nationwide.

Glenda Zahra Baker (voice and percussion) is a member of the performance duo, ?In The Spirit? , and ?Mission? ensemble. She also works with ?Kuntu Drama Players? and is a resident artist at Banneker Elementary School. She served as musical director for ?Blak Love: More Storeez of a Darker hue?(Chameleon Productions) and was a featured musician for shakespeare Rep?s ?Orthello.?