We could write a book on the world of open mics. We’ve been to so many and they never disappoint. We love them because they are, in true form, an afront to the established style of Literary Culture. Open mics are where you can in one evening hear some incredible writing as well as an equally incredible, memorized, religious couplet epic sung in acapella. Open mics are the SCTV of literature, which is why we believed they are scorned so. No one of Real Literary Talent would be caught dead at one. But, like a summer bailing hay on a farm, you really haven’t worked, have you, if you’ve not followed a bad rendition of Wonderwall to seduce a room with your words.
Of course some writers just like to sit in their houses and type away. We do not shame them. We understand them. We understand their reluctance to participate in the Great Experiment. It is a provable fact that this method can lead to Good Literature. But the opposite route is also fruitful. Whoever survives the cricuble that is an open mic audience will improve, if just through their suffering. It is the Dark Night of the Soul IN PUBLIC! We don’t write this to scare you. We write it to invite you to a place where people understand your struggle. You have ideas. You have dreams. Dare drag them out into the light and see what they are made of. We promise you that they will not be the worst ever shared in the Imaginarium that is the Open Mic. They might even be the best. Rip that heart from its cage and let it sing.
To this bloody end we’ve ivited the mysterious poet Solo to officiate. She is a great person, most likely much kinder than us. She will hover over the evening like an intimate chord organizing the secret physics of the world. She will have a sign-up sheet. She will introduce you. She will encourage you. She, like us, understands what it feels like to project the dark characters of your soul onto a crowd of strangers. She knows magic. We think she’s a witch. We’re sure we saw her directing a flock of birds over the Thames WITH HER MIND. So, yes, she’s perfect for our open mic.
Jason will read some of his bad teen-age poetry to make you feel better. It’s awful. You will scoff IMMEDIATELY and feel superior. He’s taking one for the team, friends, so you can soar. Come out. Bring your friends. Bring your poetry, bits, songs, pantomine, monologues, puppetry, or WHATEVER, and break our hearts.
Tomorrow night starting at 7pm!
With love,
Jason and Vanessa
