Busboys and Poets' quest to corner the regional market on spoken-word poetry, live nu jazz, fair-trade knickknacks, and readings by brilliant, obscure authors is nearly complete: The local food-and-words business has gone tri-state — well, two states plus the District — with a fourth location opening today in Hyattsville, Md., at 4 p.m.

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Hyattsville’s signature room is named after Howard Zinn, and if you've clicked on an article about Busboys and Poets, you already know who he is. (The other locations' signature rooms are named in honor of Langston Hughes, Paul Robeson, and Countee Cullen.) Because it wouldn't be a Busboys without an open mic, locals eager to wax stream-of-consciousness will get their first chance on Thursday, from 9 – 11 p.m. And just to be clear: No, poetry doesn't pay.