Pearl Street Books owner Beth Hartung and author Clemonce Heard join ahead of Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday. Before that, however, Heard will be having a social and reading at Pearl Street on his book Tragic City, a poetry collection on the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

We kickoff the show with Hartung talking about a couple things happening at Pearl Street with Independent Bookstore Day, including music, games, prizes and giveaways — like a Midwest map of all the independent bookstores. 

Along with that, April is Poetry Month, so Hartung has invited Heard to the store to close out that celebration, and we brought on the poet to talk about the history of the Tulsa Race Massacre, plus how Heard — a New Orleans native — finds some comfort in visiting La Crosse, knowing the Mississippi River connects the two cities. 

After Heard conducts at workshop with UW-La Crosse students, he’ll be at the Pearl Street social at 6 p.m. Friday, plus a Q&A. He’ll then hold a book signing for Tragic City from 10:30 a.m.-noon Saturday.