On the second Thursday of the month, some of Chapel Hill’s creative and aspiring poets gathered at Flyleaf Books on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to share their work with one another.
The evening unofficially began at 6:00 next door at The Root Cellar, which gave attendees the opportunity to chat with the featured poets of the night over dinner or a glass of wine.
The night continued at Flyleaf Books as two featured poets who had published a book within the past year read their some of their work before the warm and receptive audience. After a short intermission, audience members were invited to share their own work during the open mic portion of the evening.
Featured readers have included State Poets Laureate and recipients of the APR/Honickman First Book Prize for poetry. Many times, those who read during the open mic refined their craft so well over time that they later became the featured readers.
This month’s event featured renowned poets Ty Stumpf and Al Maginnes. Reading from his collection of poetry, "Suburban Burn," Stumpf brought the written word to life with his rich use of inflection and expression. Listeners nodded along, their eyes filled with understanding and lived experience. Stumpf shared selections about everything from his family to grave robbers, his voice filled with the confidence that comes with telling one’s own truth.
Maginnes read selections from his most recent publication, "The Next Place," which fellow poet Philip Terman described as “infused throughout with the heat and light — the sweat and spirit —
of experienced wisdom.” Somewhere in between his goodhearted jokes, Maginnes strung together words in a way that could make one remember that one exists. This was reflected in the pensive satisfaction on the faces of the audience members.
After listeners were given the opportunity to purchase the featured books and have them autographed, hosts Pam Baggett and Joan Barasovska opened the floor to the general audience. The number of individuals willing to share a very intimate piece of themselves before others through poetry was astounding. Likewise, the audience was open and willing to ponder whatever the readers chose to bestow upon them.
Barasovska spoke to the power and importance of the open mic portion of the event, saying “The open mic is a crucial thing ... to hear your own voice saying your own words. It’s empowering, it’s informative and it pulls you into the community of poets.”
Jamie Fiocco, the owner of Flyleaf Books, said that the event was created as a response to the local demand for a space in which poets could share their work.
