Good morning everyone, it’s been a while since I’ve published anything on Poets Like Us but I am back in the driver’s seat and I’m here to talk about poetry open mikes. One of the most common question I get on social media is from perspective hosts who want to start a poetry open mic in their area whether that area is in some cowtown in nowhere-land USA or across the pond. I spend a part of each day talking to poetry hosts across the country about their series and acting as a sort of advisor figure because somehow in the strange bizarre twists of my life the one area where I suppose I’ve become an authority on is just that - running poetry shows.
Smart, practical, ground up. Good stuff, Damian. One personal demurrer from the format — I find three 10-minute features provides insufficient time for solid poets who have a book. Personally, I prefer one deep reader, really digging into their poems or expansively reading from their book. 3 readers seems more about personal mic moments — I’m much less interested in the scene than in the poems. But that’s probably not a scenester’s desire, maybe it’s the old guy attitude of one who sponsored and hosted for 30 years and now likes the poetry more than who’s at the party.
Oh damn Damian this is spectacular. I cannot wait to read your book of memories. "A Thousand Poetry Shows and All I Got Was This T-Shirt" or some such. I already forwarded this to people who are thinking of hosting! Such gold!
I personally think the more engaging the host is, the more enjoyable the show. I often thought I would like to run one since when I read, I try to engage the audience by giving a backstory on certain poems.
The sheer wisdom in this. "This is your monument to the great god of poesy high up in the clouds," brilliant. Thank you.
Smart, practical, ground up. Good stuff, Damian. One personal demurrer from the format — I find three 10-minute features provides insufficient time for solid poets who have a book. Personally, I prefer one deep reader, really digging into their poems or expansively reading from their book. 3 readers seems more about personal mic moments — I’m much less interested in the scene than in the poems. But that’s probably not a scenester’s desire, maybe it’s the old guy attitude of one who sponsored and hosted for 30 years and now likes the poetry more than who’s at the party.
Oh damn Damian this is spectacular. I cannot wait to read your book of memories. "A Thousand Poetry Shows and All I Got Was This T-Shirt" or some such. I already forwarded this to people who are thinking of hosting! Such gold!
Hosts ! Make it Fun ! Make it Memorable! Make it a riot in the heart !
I personally think the more engaging the host is, the more enjoyable the show. I often thought I would like to run one since when I read, I try to engage the audience by giving a backstory on certain poems.