Percy Hooper, husband of Mikii Cooper (Gran Gran), spoke from the heart with "You Put Your Hands on My Woman." Hooper, aka BA BA, has been married to Mikii for over 52 years. (Photos by Warren Roseborough)

The evening’s co-host, Gran Gran, performed her new poem, “Mental Penetration” during the event held at Theze Bonez, which is owned by Andrew Jones.

Better known as Gran Gran, Mikii Hooper along with her husband Percy Hooper hosts a spoken word and song night on Tuesdays at Theze Bonez Sports Bar & Grill located in West Memphis, Ark.

This spoken word project started a week ago and, by the size of the crowd on March 24, is becoming popular. The best thing is -- it’s free and you buy food and beverages.
 
Tri-State Defender: Where were you from?  
Gran Gran Hooper: I was born in Marion, Arkansas, but raised in Detroit, Michigan. I moved back here in the seventies.
 
TSD: How long have you been writing poetry?
Gran Gran:  All of my life. I used to write for the Arkansas State Press, which was owned by Daisy Bates.  (Elected president of the Arkansas State Conference of NAACP Branches in 1952, newspaper publisher Daisy Bates recruited the Little Rock Nine in 1957.)
 
TSD: What do you expect to get of this project?
Gran Gran: More expression and Spoken Word in the West Memphis area.
 
TSD: How long have you been doing this spoken word project?
Gran Gran: For over nine years. I like to hang out with the young kids to feast off their energy.