Lord of the Rings' Star Leads Benefit to Help Independent Bookstore

For about five months now, Midnight Special's planned reopening on Second Street in Santa Monica has been hampered by financial woes and unexpected delays. Now, a movie star, a famous slam poet, three independent presses, and a literary arts club want to help put the bookstore back on its feet.

Lord of the Rings star and poet Viggo Mortensen

On November 15, a Benefit Poetry Reading for Midnight Special will be held at the literary arts club Beyond Baroque in Venice, California. The benefit, which will also celebrate the Los Angeles release of the poetry anthology Spoken Word Revolution (Sourcebooks), will feature appearances by Lord of the Rings star and poet Viggo Mortensen, slam poet/actor Saul Williams, Marvin Bell, and other renowned writers and poets. The benefit is sponsored by independent publishers Perceval Press (which has Mortensen on its Board), EM-Press.com, Sourcebooks, as well as Beyond Baroque.

The benefit, which was spurred by Perceval Press, is a way for local artists to show Midnight Special just how important they think the store is to the community, noted Mark Eleveld, a high school teacher and the editor of Spoken Word Revolution. "Saul and Viggo, being local -- they're regular customers and supporters of Midnight Special," he told BTW. "They recognize that chains put pressure on independents and … recognize what Midnight Special has done for the arts."

Last May, Margie Ghiz, the owner of Midnight Special, told BTW that, after finally securing a new location for her bookstore less than a half-mile from her previous location, she hoped to reopen by the end of June. However, Midnight Special's new location remains closed. On September 12, Ghiz sent out an e-mail to her mailing list, appealing to her customers for help.

In addition to Mortensen, Williams, and Bell, other poets scheduled to read at the benefit are Patricia Smith, Luis Rodriquez, Regie Gibson, Georganne Deen, and Mike McGee. John Condron will provide music. Proceeds from sales of Spoken Word at the event and from donations at the door will go to help Midnight Special, Eleveld said.

The Spoken Word Revolution: Slam, Hip Hop & the Poetry of a New Generation is a celebration of "a revolution in poetry, and a collection of the written and performed works of more than 40 of the most influential slam, hip hop, and performance poets in the world today," it was noted in a press release for the event.