BY DEBBIE PAGE

Jonathan Kevin Rice will be the featured poet at the March 9 poetry performance event at Performance Coffee in Mooresville.

Rice is one of the founders of Waterbean Poetry in Huntersville and has been an editor of Iodine Poetry Journal for many years.

Several local writers who met in a poetry course started the quarterly poetry event in Mooresville last year. Each event begins with a featured poet reading his or her work, followed by an open mic for poets to share two or three of their verses.

Performance Coffee, located at 143 South Broad Street in Mooresville, is celebrating its first anniversary of the series at 12 noon on Saturday, March 9.

Poets ranging in age from 12 to 96 have shared their literary ventures at past events.

“We would love to get more high school students, more people of color, a more diverse group to participate. We are an open and supportive group of people. We love poetry and want to share it with the world. Anybody can also come just to listen and enjoy the poems as well,” said Hope Andersen, one of the founders of the quarterly events.

Performance Coffee serves a variety of coffees, teas, smoothies, gelato, and pastries to enjoy during the event.