Café Shapiro: A Library Ambassador Perspective

Walking up to the tables and chairs set up on the 1st floor of the UGLi, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had heard of Café Shapiro but had never attended one before, or any event like it. For those who don’t know, Café Shapiro is an event held in the Shapiro Undergraduate Library that features original student poems and short stories. Students are nominated by their professors to read their work at the event, and anyone can come and listen. When I arrived, about half the seats were occupied and at the front there stood a small podium where students would come up and read their work.

The event began with a series of short stories, and immediately I was blown away by the quality of work being read. It sounded like any professional author was reading his or her work out loud, but all the contributors were undergraduates. As the night went on, I was more and more impressed with how well-written and meaningful each piece was.

I’d highly recommend attending a Café Shapiro night for anyone interested in original poems and stories, or simply those who want to hear how talented their fellow students are! It was a great experience and I look forward to attending more events in the future.