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Matt Carlyon is a spoken word artist and music producer in the Twin Cities. He has worked professionally with such artists as Khary “6 is 9” Jackson, Brian “Omni” Dilan, Guante, and “Chance” from the hip hop group “Audio Perm”. Matt has been on several different national stages for poetry, including representing Minnesota’s youth poetry scene at Brave New Voices as well as competing at the CUPSI with the University of Minnesota, which placed 4th in the nation. He is a member of the spoken word collective Batteries Not Included with Hasani Harris and Damon McBrayer. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Golden Thyme Coffee Café at 921 Selby Avenue (corner of North Milton Street) in Saint Paul, MN 55104. All ages are welcome, and there is no cover charge. First Thursday writing workshops will be held an hour before the open mic begins, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Hieu Nguyen is a rising star in the Twin Cities’ slam scene. He has competed at the National Poetry Slam with both the Minneapolis and Saint Paul teams, placing 5th and 12th respectively. In 2012, he was a Write Bloody finalist and performed with The Good News Poetry Tour. Also, his poems are really, really good. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Golden Thyme Coffee Café at 921 Selby Avenue (corner of North Milton Street) in Saint Paul. All ages are welcome, and there is no cover charge.

Ashley Gold is a versatile singer/songwriter whose style ranges from spoken word to neo-soul. Her work is based on everyday struggles and triumphs, and has a universal appeal, with a voice and style that come off as nonchalant yet intentional at the same time. Ashley has worked with local heavyweights, Desdamona, Carnage, and Truthmaze. She is an artist and activist, and has donated her talents to various causes including Take Back the Night, The Great American Sleep Out, and B-Girl Be. She believes that all artists have a social responsibility to engage community and inspire people to create change. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Golden Thyme Coffee Café at 921 Selby Avenue (corner of North Milton Street) in Saint Paul. All ages are welcome, and there is no cover charge.

Spencer Virden was born in Northeast Minneapolis before that was considered a cool thing to do, so I guess you could say he’s a bit of a trendsetter. He spends his time rapping as Unfuh Qwittable with the Audio Perm crew and working the third shift at Rainbow Foods. His passions include reading, teaching/learning, and his family. Above all Spencer is a true representer of the scoundrel nation, lets go. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Golden Thyme Coffee Café at 921 Selby Avenue (corner of North Milton Street) in Saint Paul. All ages are welcome, and there is no cover charge.

Mankwe Ndosi has been working in the Twin Cities and Chicago for more than 15 years as a musicmaker, performer, educator and culture weaver focused on sound, story, and expanding the vocabulary of singing. She seeks to infuse creative practice back into the worlds of healing, sustainable economic development, education, and new village community building. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Golden Thyme Coffee Café at 921 Selby Avenue (corner of North Milton Street) in Saint Paul. All ages are welcome, and there is no cover charge. First Thursday writing workshops will be held an hour before the open mic begins, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Guante is a hip hop artist, two-time National Poetry Slam champion, activist, educator and writer based in Minneapolis. His newest project, a musical collaboration with producer Big Cats!, is called “YOU BETTER WEAPONIZE” and will be released on November 9th at Hell’s Kitchen in Minneapolis.