A Night at the Kauffman Center: Rupi Kaur

If you've been reading for awhile, you know that one of my longest-standing loves is poetry. I'm much better at reading it than writing it, but it's been a big part of my life since I was a child. It's no surprise, then, that when I found out Rupi Kaur was coming to Kansas City to do a reading, I snapped up tickets right after they went on sale. Then I dragged my friend (and fellow Brunch Club member) Leeann along with me. 

I'm completely convinced that the Kauffman is the most beautiful building in Kansas City--and as someone who loves historical architecture, that's quite a statement. It's so bright, airy, and open. But before I get too lost in gushing about the venue, I'm going to rewind to the apps & drinks we had before we got there. Leeann had mentioned Ruins Pub when we were tossing out dinner options, and once I peeked at the menu, I was sold. I've been craving a good charcuterie board, and adding some poutine to the mix made for a perfect pre-event meal. The most unique thing about Ruins is the beer wall--they attach a card to your ticket, and you self-serve from a wall of different beers on tap. I'm not much of a beer person, but I can appreciate a good cider draft--and they had a coffee cider that was super unique and really tasty!

When we first arrived to the Kauffman, we wandered around taking photos, since I had never been inside before. There was a very impressive high school poetry group performing in the lobby, and we watched them for a while as we waited. The tickets came with a copy of Rupi's new book, The Sun and Her Flowers, so we picked up our books and made our way inside the performance hall. To be honest, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I was blown away. Reading Rupi Kaur's poems is an experience on its own, but listening to her perform them makes them feel even more personal--you can feel them on a deeper level somehow. It's a little weird to say, but I think everyone in that room wanted to be friends with her--she is so approachable and relatable, even when she's reading her own profound words. Predictably, the audience was about 98% women, and because a lot of her writing is drawn from her experiences and the experiences of other women she knows, there were definitely some shared "yaaaaas girl" moments. Laughing, sighing, and even outright cheering erupted from all of us throughout the evening. It was truly, truly unforgettable.