After the intermission, the MC Shavonne Kaye bounds up on stage with a seven year old clutching her hand. “She’s gonna help me host the rest of the night, y’all cool with that?” She gets loud whoops and soft coos from those charmed by her co-host. Shavonne introduces the next poet amidst the noise of forks scraping the home-cooked buffet, the artist Rae Parker discussing their live painting, and the soft sounds of an impromptu jam in the far corner where a few couples dance.
