IPRC is celebrating the release of a new book of poetry and accompanying album of recorded performance by Rashida Young, a graduate of IPRC's Certificate Program. Young will perform her poetry with live shekere percussion, and will be joined by other performance poets and an "Afro beat jazz inspired trio."

Here's a bit from the poet's own description of her work:

"As a black woman living in Portland, Oregon, it is a constant challenge to decipher my relationship to African culture versus the inked mirage of well dressed socialites that is my beloved generation," says Rashida. "Listening to your ancestors is not a 'normal' part of society's way of operating, but my poems are essentially a space for the voice of my ancestors to tell old stories in a way that relate to the stories we are living today."

It's tonight, it's free, it's at IPRC.