Last night was the third time that I’ve had the honor of feature reading at the Poetry Speaks reading series in Evansville, IN. It is the longest running poetry series in the Hoosier state, and it’s my favorite reading in the country. It was founded by the late poet Wild Bill Sovern, and has been continued in the same traditions by poets Jonathan S. Baker and Arizona since his passing.
I’d been looking forward to this show for months, ever since I’d gotten the invitation, not only because it was a chance to come back to my favorite reading, but because I was going to get to read with Indiana State Poet Laureate, Curtis L. Crisler and with St. Louis poet Julianne King.
Comrades. Our poet colleague and poetry family member, Julianne King, her and her family are going through unspeakably difficult times, and if you got any good vibes, prayers and power with the gods, her family could use a miracle right now. Or even just a few lucky breaks. If I knew how to help, I’d ask you to help me help, but I’m not even sure how we could. They need grace.
So, Julianne had to postpone her visit to Poetry Speaks. Local poet and host Arizona stepped in to take her place on the shortest of notices, which reminds me to tell you of one of my top philosophies as a spoken word poet: always be ready to read a poem. Always have a poem or three folded up and ready to go in the back pocket of your mind, in case someone asks you for one. Being ready when opportunity knocked has gotten me on stage in front of music audiences a dozen times.
Poetry Speaks is hosted at the famous Bokeh Lounge, a local arts and hipster type bar that’s surrounded by art sculptures and hosts live music most days of the week, and on the third Tuesday of every month they are the gracious hosts to Poetry Speaks. The Bokeh Lounge is a seriously cool place. It’s a bar I’d meet friends in for dinners or late evening hangouts if I was a local.
My partner Jess and I got there about 45 minutes early and got to chat a bit with Baker, Arizona and State Poet Laureate, Curtis L. Crisler. Curtis and I were both at the same weekend poetry convention in northwest Indiana eight or nine years ago, but don’t remember seeing each other there, and I did go see him read last year in Fort Wayne once, but last night was the first chance I’d gotten to chat with him about poetry and life, and friends, Curtis L. Crisler is the real deal, true statesman and ambassador of poetry that Indiana needs. Good human. Great poet.
Jonathan S. Baker introduced the show, and Curtis introduced his “ Pop-up Chitlin Circuit” and explained how it operated. The Chitlin Circuit is the upper Midwest’s version of the Green Book. A collection of music and performance venues that would host African American musicians and performers during racially segregated times. Curtis explained the history of it, and how he learned of it, and why he was bringing back the term as the state poet laureate, and it was the true honor of a lifetime that I got to be a part of it.
I won’t tell you the details and workings of how he runs the circuit, but it involves all three featured poets introducing each other and taking turns reading, and it’s one of the most fun poetry experiences I’ve ever had. If you get a chance to go see Curtis L. Crisler read poetry, give a talk, or especially see his Chitlin Circuit. Go. Don’t ask questions. Just go. You won’t be disappointed.
And I’ll say this, too. Curtis and Arizona both gave great poetry readings, and Arizona should be especially lauded for standing shoulder to shoulder with a traveling street poet like me and the poet laureate of her state, on short notice, and kicking ass while doing it.
Us features took up 40 minutes or so, performing and reading for a crowd of perhaps 50. And then Arizona kicked off the open mic reading and co-hosted the rest of the evening with Jonathan S. Baker. And this is where I realized why I love this reading so much, and why I hail it as the best reading in the country.
It’s not just because they let everyone that wants a chance on the mic sign up, and not just because they stay until the last poet has performed (about 3 hours and 45 minutes last night.) It’s not just that the talent level of the poets there oscillates between esteemed poet laureate and open mic first time virgins (there were at least two current or former laureates in attendance last night and three first time poetry readers.) It’s not just that the audience is 50% younger than 35, and not just because the crowd is diverse and often made up of multiple ethnicities and genders. It’s not just that it’s so supportive and inclusive. Not just because the first time readers get the loudest cheers and not just because those that are struggling are cheered the longest. It’s because Poetry Speaks is all of those things and it’s fun.
I’m fortunate, blessed and honored to have the opportunities I’ve had, and over the last couple of years I’ve read with dozens of poet laureates and a few dozen of the most legendary small press poets alive, and as long as I live I will never take that fortune for granted. Poetry has been good to me, and other poets have mostly been kind. But last night at Poetry Speaks I saw a half dozen poets pull out notebooks and read their hand written poems. Some poets last night shared pieces they’d written that day. Some that were written at the event. And all of these things take me right back to my earliest days of reading at open mics. The days before I could afford a computer and a printer, but I damn sure had my moleskin notebooks, and my gel pens, and I’d take three or four of those moleskin notebooks to readings and pick through them for my poems to read that night. Being brought back to that wonderment of shakey leg nerves and trembling voices was as refreshing for my heart as a nap on a tired day.
Add to all of these brilliant things, Poetry Speaks collects art and hygiene supplies every month for the Greater Evansville youth, and last night they had volunteers from a local petition drive to ensure gender affirming care as a right in Evansville there collecting signatures at the invitation and support of the poets and reading series. Poets having fun, writing good poetry, encouraging and supporting others, and trying to make a positive difference in their community!? Comrades, do you see why I love this reading in southern Indiana so much? If you’re a poet, you should make it a point to attend their reading there at least once in your life.
After the last reader had performed their poems, over 20 some poets read during the open mic, the show closed and the after show communion began, and that communion at Poetry Speaks is like a warm glow of love and acceptance. The poets and artists in Evansville have always been good to me. Better than good. They’ve always treated me like I belonged there. Like I’m loved there. They’re like that with other visiting artists. It’s my third time there. I’ve seen it in action.
I got to trade books with Curtis. I got a copy of his latest collection, Doing Drive-Bys On How To Find Love in the Midwest, and a copy of his now out of print YA book, Tough Boy Sonatas, that he wrote in collaboration with artwork from the late artist Floyd Cooper (a true treasure of a book.) I sold and traded some other books, and spent a good hour plus chatting and hanging out with Curtis, Jonathan S. Baker, Arizona, and Bloomington Poets Tony Brewer and Joan Hawkins. It was just what my poet’s heart needed.
And that might be the thing that I truly like the most about Poetry Speaks. It gives me hope. Every single time I’ve been honored to be in attendance, I’ve left feeling more hopeful and inspired that there are good poets and artists out there that are doing good things in our world, and I’ve left wanting to do more to make my community better, too.
Nights like last night make me proud to say that I’m a Hoosier born poet.
Love,
Dan
What a wonderful night for you Dan, but be careful about that Zero Beer, it is not gluten free!!