PubspeaksOpen Mic Poetry NightBy Amanda Glensky, WIW Intern The February 22 Open Mic Poetry Night Pubspeak was a hit for WIW Member Robert England, who recently rediscovered his passion for poetry. For attendees such as Heather Price and WIW Member Rosalind MacLennan, the event allowed them to revisit poetry and take a break from their other writing projects. “People responded well to it, so I think it was a success,” said former WIW Membership and Program Coordinator Jennifer Van Orman. The event was held at Chapters Bookstore on 11th St. N.W. Of the 17 people who attended, nine read poems, said Van Orman. Attendees were also able to enjoy wine and an assortment of cheese and crackers. Van Orman, who recently earned her MFA in poetry from the University of Southern Maine, decided to host an open mic night after discussing ideas for a poetry event with WIW Vice President Lisa Daniels. Drawing from the successes of open mic nights at her college, she decided that it would be an easy opportunity for writers to perform their poetry. Many of those in attendance said that the event was a great experience. England said that the event was wonderful, and he enjoyed listening to the many talented, heartfelt and funny works of poetry. Poetry is his first love, but making a living from it is unrealistic, he said. “If you were born wealthy, you could indulge yourself.” When he learned about the Pubspeak, he rummaged through poems he had written in the past. He was published in college journals and three of his poems appeared in the Connecticut West Hartford News, two of which he read at the open mic night. One poem, “Mirage,” was about disillusion, a theme England said occurs in many of his poems, influenced by his very idealistic youth. As an example, he said that people are a mix of good and bad, and believing that all people are honest leads to disappointment. He also cited idealism when falling in love, because people initially expect the best. Another theme in his works is the search for the truth. The Pubspeak also gave Price the opportunity to revisit poetry. She used to write poetry, but had not written for a long time. “The emotions that most drive me to write are directed at other people,” she said. Many of her poems are about people and relationships because she is usually in a reflective mood when she has the time to write. “I get fairly self-involved,” she said. Like Price and England, MacLennan took a break from her other projects to focus on writing poetry. She shared a poem about one of her great grandmothers. Titled “Lineage” it demonstrated MacLennan’s unique way of exploring her past through the stories of her ancestors. “It’s a rich vein that I want to explore more,” she said. All of the family stories she has are snippets because nobody kept a journal. Therefore, she decided to follow the path of author August Wilson and expand on these snippets by creating myths. WIW Member Heather Banks read poems at the open mic that draw from her life experiences, of which she said that she has had many at age 64. “My poems are very seldom just about what appears to be the subject matter,” she said. She read her poem “Split Rail French,” which discusses moral values and lifestyle in only seven lines. “There are few straight and narrows in life,” she said. Banks has been writing poetry from the time she was five-years-old. She was published in a children’s anthology, Hornbook when she was nine and has since been published in Washington anthologies. She attends a poetry discussion group once a week called Dreamers and told WIW members that there are a lot of small poetry groups in local areas. Taryn Carrino, WIW’s new Membership and Program Coordinator, said that the Pubspeak was an enjoyable first WIW event for her. “It actually was perfect. Hopefully everything will be that fun,” she said. Carrinno, who is working on her MFA in poetry from the New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire, said that she hopes to initiate more poetry open mic events in the future. Sign up for the next Pubspeak online. |