Students from the Brainy Acts Poetry Society at Northwestern State University will participate in the Louisiana Book Festival Saturday, Oct. 27 in Baton Rouge. The group will appear at the Louisiana State Museum Auditorium at 12:30 p.m. Northwestern State Professor of English Dr. Julie Kane, Louisiana’s Poet Laureate, will also be part of the Festival.

According to BAPS co-founder Clemonce Heard, the group will present 10 different pieces as part of a program, Reading is Not Optional.

“It will emphasize that reading is one of the most important things you can do,” said Heard, a recent graduate in graphic design from New Orleans. “Poetry is my number one passion. It is a wonderful opportunity to perform and see so many other poets.”

Members of the Brainy Acts Poetry Society who are participating in the performance with Heard are Ashli Prelow, an early childhood education major from Shreveport; Dennis Onyema, a general studies major from New Orleans; Joseph Jackson, a general studies major from Baton Rouge; Dante Barry, a criminal justice major from Antioch, Calif.; Shaniqua Cobbs, a nursing major from Alexandria; Elizabeth King, a psychology major from New Orleans; Olivia Hadams, a biology pre-med major from Mesquite, Texas; Lauren McCullough, a history major from Shreveport, and Janasia Smith, a social work major from Aviano, Italy. Alumna Amber Carter of New Orleans will also be part of the group.

The Brainy Acts Poetry Society was established in 2010 by alumna Brandi White and Heard along with other Northwestern State students who had a passion for poetry. BAPS put on its first event that year, Race of the Races, where several slam poetry type pieces were performed. BAPS began to coordinate a different performance a month with topics based on the emotions and vote of each poet. The group won an educational programming award its first year on at NSU. The Brainy Acts Poetry Society has performed at Grambling State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, Southern University and other universities in Louisiana.

Kane will chair the Louisiana Poet Laureate presents poetry reading featuring Ken Fontenot, Lee Grue, Christopher Hannan and Allison Pelegrin. She will be on the Conversations with Tim Gautreaux panel, celebrating a new book of interviews with Gautreaux edited by Lamar Nisly and published by University of Mississippi Press. Kane has an interview with Gautreaux in the book. She will also moderate a discussion with poet Martha Serpas.