Hot Poetry and Cool Music at Bogart’s Bookstore in Millville NJ April 25, 2009

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Do you want to feel more American when you walk out a bookstore than when you walk in? Do you want to leave the store with poetry and music in your heart? Some believe there is a right time and a right place for everything. The right place is Bogart's Bookstore and Café in Millville, NJ. The right time is Friday evening and Saturday afternoon when local musicians, writers and poets join forces and take the floor. The audience is made of fine folks who stop at Bogart''s to sit down, sip made to order coffees and are check out books.

Bogart's owner is a lovely, smart and young lady, Amy Lombardo. Amy's love for books and the arts show in her approach to book selling: both old-fashioned and modern. Amy delivers great books at great prices and hosts terrific artists to entertain her customers. The all American and old-fashioned spirit is the friendliness of Bogart’s staff who make the people who walk in feel welcome immediately. The modern concept is displayed beautifully in Amy's approach to bring musicians to play and sing as well as writers and poets to do book signing and book reading.

Bogart's is located in the historical and artistic Millville, Cumberland County, NJ. The town has numerous full time and part time art galleries in the Glasstown Arts District where on the third Friday of the month musicians allure customers into the town's lovely shops and, of course, along the streets. Millville incorporates the Main Street American spirit, glamour, beauty in its stores, surroundings and in its down to earth people.

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I had the pleasure to do a book signing and reading at Bogart's on April 25, 2009: my poem book titled Hooked on You. I teamed up with a terrific and talented musician, Dan Godfrey. Dan has cut four great albums of his unique music –a blend of southwestern style and light rock. Dan and I had a great time delivering poetry and music to Bogart's patrons. A tender moment occurred when a mature gentleman congratulated me on what I have done in poetry. "I have a lot of respect for you, Sir", he said.

Millville is proud of its former and current residents like -
The award winner A. R. Ammons (1926-2001), writer and poet
The horror fiction writer Julie Ann Dawson (1971- )
Guitarist for the heavy metal band Overkill - Merritt Gant (1971 - )

For a taste of true America, a trip to Bogart's Bookstore and Café in Millville, Cumberland County, NJ may turn out memorable. I can assure you if your visit is on Friday evening, you will enjoy great music. If you are lucky, you may even catch a writer or poet doing a book reading. If your visit is on the third Sunday afternoon of the month, your mind will be mesmerized by several local poets reading their poems at Bogart's. One thing is for sure: you will feel more American when you walk out Bogart’s than when you walked in. You will also leave the store with poetry and music in your heart.

God bless America, Bogart's and Millville with its poets, musicians and fine folks!