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On Oct. 23, some talented Robson Ranch residents and neighboring friends shared poetry, spoken word, and lyrics during an event hosted by the African American Social Group (AASG). It was an intimate setting on a Friday evening at the Grille Lounge. Tiffany Ramzy, AASG coordinator, was the emcee for the evening. Lavelle Carson kicked it off by reading two of her poems, I Heard a Word and Word. Lavelle is a retired speech-language pathologist, an award-winning children’s author (17 books), and founder of SLP Storytellers. Lavelle’s books, including her May 2026 book, Phonological Fun! Building Early Readers can be purchased on Amazon. Jackie Ford, an AASG coordinator, read two Native American poems: Raindrop and A Small Part.
The next participants wowed the audience with lyrics. Harriet Apponsah, a resident of Northlake sang her original worship song, As We’ve Come. Jeff Frick, an author with several books on Amazon, read a few of his works and then played a recording of Got the Spirit in Our Lives. lyrics by Jeff, music generated by AI. To close out the lyrics portion, Tiffany Ramzy sang the lyrics to Allen Stone’s, Unaware, a soulful social commentary and protest song that blends economic frustration, political disillusionment, and personal strain.
Next was Lee Figueriedo, aka Leon Dalton—a published author of two books. The Agents is a popular selection at the Robson library and is also available on Amazon. His second book, With Pen in Hand: Poems and Short Stories is being promoted on Amazon via A Journey Across the Human Soul—With Pen in Hand (Official Trailer). Lee entertained the audience by reading a few selections from his books.
Amy Judd, a long-time educator, told how she used spoken word to connect kids to the power of self-expression. A member of the Robson Drama Club, Amy displayed her acting talents via her lively delivery of a poem entitled B. The poem starts out, “If I should have a daughter, instead of Mom, she’s gonna call me Point B.” The poem was originally performed by spoken word poet Sarah Kay at a 2011 TED Talk. Amy also told the audience about her upcoming role in the Robson Drama Club’s November play entitled, The Red Velvet Cake War.
The last participant of the evening was Mary Flowers Boyce, a Denton-area writer/comedian, and former head writer for the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show. Mary entertained the audience for a few minutes with quips from her life and her journey from ghostwriter to comedian. She runs Mary Flowers Boyce Productions and performs stand-up comedy, including events like the Denton Black Film Festival. The AASG is planning a future comedy night at Robson with Mary as the headliner, among other comedians and open mic participants.
Thanks to online advertising, the event also drew the attention of a handful of young people who came to check it out and left impressed with the talent, and most definitely heard a word.