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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

New book and album bring poet Andrea Gibson to the Bartlett

In 2008, poet Andrea Gibson won the first Woman of the World Poetry Slam. They have since released numerous books and albums of poetry. (Coco Aramaki)

With the January release of their latest book, “Take Me With You,” and album, “Hey Galaxy,” poet Andrea Gibson kicked off 2018 in a big way.

“Take Me With You” is a collection of Gibson’s work, a variety of one liners, couplets and “greatest hits” phrases, all divided into three sections: love, the world and becoming.

There are clever quips, like “I don’t consider myself a cold person, but there’s that wind chill factor,” and heart wrenching lines, like “I bought a typewriter when we said goodbye, hoping to make a life I couldn’t erase so easily the next time,” packing a lot of punch into the illustrated pocket-sized book.

“Hey Galaxy” grew from the need Gibson felt to release a social justice-oriented project after the 2016 presidential election, and the album’s 16 poems feature music from Jesse Thomas, Andrew Joslyn, Chris Pureka and Bryan Wagstaff, who also produced and mixed the album.

“There’s a quote that says ‘Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable,’ ” Gibson said in a press release. “I wanted to do that. I wanted to make something political and human and gutsy in its revolt.”

Americana soul singer Chastity Brown will join Gibson at this partially seated show.