Take the Mic!
“Spoken” is a reading series co-sponsored by Nightjar and generously hosted by Café Berlin, the 4th Thursday of each month from January to October.
Featured speakers open the event, followed by “Open Mic” sessions (opportunities for attendees to read 3-5 minute selections of their work).
Our members and speakers at past Spoken nights
2026 Schedule
January 22
Featured Readers – Walter Bargen
& Marc McKee & open mic
February 26
Featured Readers – Matthew
Scott Freeman & Vincent Casaregola (Out of St.
Louis) & open mic
March 26
Women’s History Month
celebrating women’s voices – Mary Silwance,
Cass Donish & Ruth Joffre
April 23
National Poetry Month – Celebrating
Columbia’s NEXT GEN Writers – Featuring
authors & poets from Columbia’s High Schools
May 28
Featured Readers – Ken Gierke, Terry
Allen & John Clayton & open mic
June 25
Featured Readers – Victoria Garten &
Janet Reed & open mic
July 23
Featured Readers – Clarence
Wolfshohl & Joe Polacco & open mic
August 27
Featured Readers – Teresa ‘T’
Klepac & Brett Dufur & open mic
September 24
Featured Readers – Ibtisam
Barakat & Elijah Burrell & open mic
October 22
Featured Readers – Richard
Stimac & J D Vail & open mic
Writer Wisdom
“The real benefit of reading it aloud isn’t for your ears. It’s how your soul warms when you do it, just a little bit.”
― Paul Kix