Poetry for the People

When I was in college the first time around, I decided to major in journalism. It wasn’t, as you might suspect, because I had this burning desire to be a hard-hitting reporter. I’m no Carl Bernstein. But, I thought perhaps a journalism degree would allow me to do what I love – write – and actually make a living.
However, now that I’m back in school I’ve decided to study what I always wanted to study: creative writing. And, while that might seem impractical, I think that people should pursue what makes them happy in this life.
Recently, though, I’ve found that there is something I enjoy just as equally as fiction – poetry.
Now I know, I know. Poetry? Who the heck is going to pay me for that? Well, probably no one. I’m certainly not going to quit my day job. But, I have discovered this whole other aspect of myself, largely due to my new favorite class, Intro to Poetry.
My professor is an adorable Italian from Brooklyn who is – gasp – younger than me. But he’s also a brilliant poet, and has challenged us to write things I never would have tried on my own. This week we’re trying our hands at terza rima, the form Dante invented and used throughout his insanely long Divine Comedy.
I’m sure many of you would rather go to the symphony than sit through a lesson on fourteenth century verse. I wouldn’t do that to you, because the truth is that poetry can be a whole lot cooler than that. And you don’t have to write it to totally dig it.
There are actually lots of ways to enjoy poetry, many of them involving attractive people and adult beverages, if you like that sort of thing. And, as this is National Poetry Month (seriously) it only makes sense that I highlight a couple of local events to start you on your own personal poetry journey. Or, to just go have fun. Whatever.
Recently I went to Poetry Resurrection!, a spoken word event at The Lobby, upstairs from the Garden Restaurant in the 200 block of Central Avenue. My friend Alicia was performing, and I initially went simply to watch her piece.
Soon, I became enamored with these brave performers, trudging up to the mic to bare their souls for a bar crowd. Not all of the performers were veterans, and some of them weren’t that great but, the many who were simply blew me away. They mixed the personal with the political and beyond for a room full of people in every color, class and creed.
Who knew such passion and talent was hiding in our bay area? If this is what poetry reading is all about, I know I’m hooked. Luckily, the Lobby event is a regular Wednesday night occurrence, and usually starts around 10:30 pm. Get there early for a good seat.
If the coffeehouse scene is more to your liking though, you can check out The Globe in the 500 block of 1st Avenue North. Many of you may be familiar with owner JoEllen Schielke, the long-time host of Friday afternoon’s WMNF radio show, Art in Your Ear. Her little coffee shop is probably one of the best kept secrets in St. Petersburg. There’s a great mix of folks at The Globe, along with homemade eats and the funkiest décor in town.
Now, I admit I haven’t yet been able to check out The Globe’s occasional poetry events, but there’s one coming up that I don’t want to miss. On May 18th, at 6pm, The Globe is putting on one of their Sunday School Confessions in Poetry showcases, “S.O.S. The May Day Session” which promises to be a darn good time, if nothing else. What more do you want?
Okay, maybe there are poetry purists amongst us. Well, fine. For you there are several upcoming events hosted at USF-St. Petersburg. April 18th, the Tampa Bay Writers Network, a USF St. Pete organization designed to bring more literary culture into our lives, will host an Evening of Poetry. The event will feature Lizz Straight, a spoken word poet and fellow WMNF-er. Poets from around the community are invited, and can even share their work. You do need to audition for them, but I’m pretty sure that means just sending them a tape. Oh, and if you need a little more motivation, I believe there are cash prizes involved.
The Tampa Bay Writers Network has also been hosting a Wednesday Writers Series to highlight local writers in various genres. Last week they featured Martha Serpas a poet and professor from the University of Tampa and Gianmarc Manzione, my aforementioned professor. TBWN will host one more event this semester, and you can get more info at www.stpt.usf.edu/tbwn/
Well, enough of the shameless plug for my beloved little school. But, you’re lucky you have me to keep you updated on all this cool stuff, because yeah, poetry is cool.
However, for those of you who are easily offended, poetry events are not necessarily for you. They are almost always R-rated, can be radical, political, and even sexual. But they are an incredibly rewarding and uniquely casual way to engage in other people’s perspectives.
Verse is considered the oldest literary art form. It has documented, painted, and projected every inch of the human experience and still finds ways to evolve. You might never look at the world the same way again after seeing it through the words of a poet.
Don’t be afraid to get out there. All it takes is an open ear and an open mind.

Published in the Gabber Newspaper, Gulfport, FL 4/12/07