April 1 kicked off National Poetry Month, an event “inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996 . . . when publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, schools and poets around the country band together to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture. Thousands of businesses and non-profit organizations participate through readings, festivals, book displays, workshops, and other events.” Although National Poetry Month is held every April, and Sacramento and its neighbors are celebrating in various ways, Sacramento is certainly no stranger to poetry and the banding together of poets. About poetry, bookseller Richard Hansen, aka The Book Collector (24th a

Sacramento's own indie press company, Flatmancrooked, showcased a number of rising literary talents Thursday in Davis. Elijah Jenkins, executive director and founder of Flatmancrooked, took over the "Poetry Night Reading Series" at the the John Natsoulas Gallery and spiked it up a bit. The first 100 attendees received a complimentary beer or wine, and were rewarded with a second if they purchased a book for $5. The crowd was lubricated, the talent was hot and the venue was intriguing. At one point in the night, I traveled through a secret door to a disturbed man printing unknown documents at night (requiring an entire ream for his hush-hush project), traveled up a cascade of stairs lined