In these highly divisive times, it’s more important than ever to get out and talk to each other — and to listen to each other. The more we get to know each other as complex, fully human beings, the more we can resist being forced into categories meant to divide us.
An email from Seymour open mic organizer Tony Saracino, telling me that the bar will be holding a follow up to its well-attended New Year’s Day session with another in February, got me thinking that for poets and spoken word performers, open mics might be just what we need to help us through these hard times. Open mics give us what the written page does not — the power that comes from the intimacy of speaking directly to our audience.
Saracino writes, “We’ll have special hours for the day, opening at 1 p.m. for the open mic, so regular bar-goers don’t unwittingly walk in on an event that requires quiet and attention.”
Seymour’s open mic will be held Sunday, Feb. 26, 1 p.m. at the pub at 5 Bank Row, Greenfield. Seymour serves local beer on tap, wine and alcoholic beverages. Food can be brought in from other nearby venues. Find Seymour on Facebook for more information.
Open mics around
Pioneer Valley
Here is a by no means comprehensive list of other open mics that are within a roughly half-hour radius of Greenfield.
If I’ve not mentioned your favorite open mic — or the one you organize — write to me at tcrapo@mac.com and I’ll be sure to let people know of it in an upcoming column. In the meantime, get out there and speak.
Northampton Poetry, also known as Nohopoho, is held every Tuesday at The World War II Club, also known as “The Deuce.” Doors open at 7 p.m. for open mic sign-up; poetry starts at 8 p.m. Random members of the audience are asked to judge in a poetry “slam” format. Cover charge of $4, $3 for students, helps to cover expenses and send poets and teams to national poetry events. Saturday, Feb. 4, Northampton Poetry is hosting the second night of a special regional NorthBeast Poetry Slam event. Tonight’s event is a team poetry slam tournament featuring eight of the region’s best teams facing off to help qualify them for the National Poetry Slam in August. Doors at 6 p.m. There is a $5 cover. Find Northamtpon Poetry on Facebook for more information.
Spoken Word Greenfield the third Tuesday of every month at 9 Mill St., Greenfield. Doors open at 7 p.m.; open mic begins at 7:30 p.m. with 10 five-minute slots followed by two featured readers. Featured readers on Feb. 21 are Exploded View members Edite Cunha and Candace Curran. $1 to $5 sliding scale donation helps to cover costs. Book tables are available at no charge for those wishing to sell their books. For more information, contact Paul Richmond at 978-544-8784 or visit: www.humanerrorpublishing.com.
Open Prose & Poetry Series held on the third Friday of the month, 7 p.m. at Arms Library, Bridge and Main Streets, Shelburne Falls. Established in 1995 by beloved writing workshop leader Genie Zeiger and then head librarian Louis Battalan, this series is one of the few that devotes the entire evening to open mic readers. This month’s session will be held Friday, Feb. 17. Contact 413-625- 0306 or visit: www.armslibrary.org for more information.
Wagon Wheel Word: Organizer Kaia Juniper writes, “Our next Wagon Wheel Word is coming up on Monday, Feb. 27, with an Open Mic starting at 6 p.m., followed by special features Joshua Michael Stewart and Kaitlin June starting at 7 p.m. Good ol’ fashioned poetry is great, but we also welcome stories, monologues and songs.” The Wagon Wheel’s full menu, including beer, wine and homemade ice cream, is available throughout the evening. Where else can you combine poetry and dinner? Held at The Wagon Wheel Restaurant, 39 French King Highway (Route 2), Gill. Find Wagon Wheel Word on Facebook for more details.
The Emily Dickinson Museum participates in the Amherst Art Walk event on first Thursdays monthly from 5 to 8 p.m. Each month, enjoy a one-night-only art exhibit, a poetry open mic, and featured readers. The Art Walk is just one way the Museum is bringing local contemporary talent into Emily Dickinson’s creative space. I can say from experience that it’s really something to hear or read poetry in Emily Dickinson’s parlor. The Emily Dickinson Museum is closed for January and February, but visit: www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org for information on events coming up in early March.
Lastly, a great resource for finding news of open mics, readings and other literary events is Lori DeRosier’s Poetry News: bit.ly/2k9SjbP To receive Poetry News by email or to request that your event be posted, write to lori@thepoetrynews.com.
Trish Crapo is a writer and photographer who lives in Leyden. She is always looking for poets, writers and artists to interview for her columns. She can be reached at tcrapo@mac.com