First Public Reading
- Whiskey by the Fire
- 10 hours ago
- 3 min read
Several years ago--as in, the pre-covid era--I went to an open mic for writers at a local bookstore with a writer girlfriend of mine. We both had pieces we wanted to share, but neither of us scrounged up the courage to do it. So after listening to all the brave souls who did read their work, we swore that we would make our words meet the mic at the next event.
And then that bookstore closed for good. Neither one of us took the time looking for another open mic night for writers.
Over the next few years, I turned out some crappy poetry and the occasional narrative, never getting the urge to read any of my writing to an audience with fully functional auditory processing. It didn't matter that friends and co-workers were giving positive feedback to my work. It was easy to convince myself that no one was actually interested in hearing words that I put to paper. It took encouraging words from loved ones whose opinions I valued to keep writing.
Within the bounds of my limited free time, I did what I could to do just that. Posted my work to this website. Stayed an avid reader. Followed other writers online. Listened to podcasts about writing with intent to publish. But the act that finally brought me to a place of bravery in sharing my work was joining a local group of writers (Pen Pals) through our town library. For nearly two years, a core group of us met twice a month with a variant few who floated in and out of the rotation. We shared our works with one another, shaking our fists at common road blocks and offering ideas to each other's writing. When our group leader left for an externship upon earning a master's degree, we reconfigured and became Writers of Oconee. Our group has grown under the leadership of one of the members of the former core group, Sanese, while I manage our digital bulletin regarding events, contests, and resources for writers.
There is one recurring event called Word of Mouth at The Globe, a favorite bar in downtown Athens known for its food, craft cocktails, and cozy weeknights with live jazz music. Word of Mouth happens the first Wednesday night of each month so that writers can sign up for a 5-minute slot with the microphone and revel in each other's talent until every writer's turn is done. Several members of our group attended. Four of us read, including me.
So here I am, reading for a live audience for the very first time in an Athens bar that I hold close to my heart. Both of these pieces are ones I wrote for this very site, one of which was published last December in an end-of-year edition of our Flagpole magazine. I hope to keep sharing my work with the public, both through open mic nights and writing contests. I'm currently waiting to hear back from two contests in which I've entered my writing. Until then, thanks for taking a moment to witness me do something new in my life as a writer.
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