A short history of the Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic by Christopher Luna
adapted from his introduction to Ghost Town Poetry: Cover to Cover Books 2004-2010: http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Town-Poetry-2004-2010-Anthology/dp/1461075114
I founded the Ghost Town Poetry series because I needed to find my own reasons to enjoy living in a town that had been chosen for me (by my wife, whom I later divorced). H
aving left a community of writers, artists, and musicians, family, and friends behind, I needed to find my way in an unfamiliar environment. I nicknamed Vancouver Ghost Town because it freaked out this New Yorker to walk down the street in the middle of the day and not see a single person outside. Although my Ghost Town poems began as a sarcastic put-down of a boring little suburb, I developed a true affection for the place, and today I concentrate on bearing witness to the lives of the invisible citizens of Vancouver, those whom others ignore or try to avoid. New Yorkers are chauvinists who believe that our city is the center of the universe. Therefore, we compare everything else unfavorably to our home. Vancouver initially struck me as dull, but rather than complain, I decided do something about it. A friend from the library suggested that I try Ice Cream Renaissance, located in the heart of town on Main Street. The open mic drew a large crowd right away, and participation hasn’t dwindled since I founded the series in November 2004. In fact, we have continued to grow. Today we regularly draw 30-50 people each month. The reading was immediately successful because I had filled a need. Unfortunately, the venue was not as ideal as I had first thought. Although Stephanie and Terry, the original owners of Ice Cream Renaissance, supported us wholeheartedly, not all of their customers felt the same. Often enough we struggled to be heard over their conversations and the endless clanging of spoons. Having grown accustomed to reading in bars and nightclubs, it took me a few years to realize that some local writers were staying away because the room was too noisy, too hectic. Later, circumstances forced me to see my error in judgment. At a certain point Ice Cream Renaissance changed hands, and it soon became apparent that we would no longer enjoy the same level of support to which we had grown accustomed. The new owners expressed uneasiness with two of our featured readers--Roy Seitz, who writes chilling poems about his time as a sniper during the Vietnam War, and G.L. Morrison, an in-your-face, fat-positive, polyamorous, pagan spoken word poet who had led the crowd in an invigorating chant: “vagina, yum!” The moment that I was told that I would be expected to tell my readers to tone things down, I realized that it was time to move on. Cover to Cover Books was a natural alternative. When I first moved to town, the bookstore (then known as So Many Books and run by Clyde Holloway) had been one of the first places I had met Vancouver poets. Later, when California poet David Madgalene came to town for a series of readings from our collaborative effort, On the Beam, Clyde had hosted the book launch. Fortunately, the new owner, Mel Sanders, was also a person who believes that a bookstore should be a community gathering place. Mel’s decision to allow us to use the space on a regular basis allowed me to transition smoothly without losing our audience. Our final reading at Ice Cream Renaissance took place in December of 2006, and our inaugural reading in our new home took place in January 2007. Thanks to Mel’s hospitality, we have not missed a second Thursday since I founded the series in November 2004. I am especially grateful to Mel for staying open late once a month to provide a safe space for poetry. Mel truly understands that events like this one play an important role in the community. I can think of no one who has contributed more to the local literary scene. If you don’t believe me, just take a look at her shelves full of local authors the next time you swing by the store. Although poetry doesn’t make anyone a lot of money, I do believe that it is important to be a good guest. I am proud that we made money for both Ice Cream Renaissance and Cover to Cover Books. In Mel’s case, we helped dedicated book readers find her store, which was identified only by a small sign reading “Books.”
Just before our October 2010 reading featuring Carlos Reyes was about to begin, there was a fire in Mojo’s Bar and Grill, the restaurant housed in the same building as Cover to Cover. As soon as we knew that everyone was safe, I asked the poets to accompany me down the street to Angst Gallery, where local art maven Leah Jackson happily opened her space to us. For the next several months we took the series on tour to poetry-friendly venues in town: The Stray Gallery (November), Niche Wine and Art Bar (December), the Clark County Historical Museum (January) and Gallery 360 (March). February’s reading was held in a private home belonging to local performer and teacher Marcia McReynolds. Mel decided to re-open in a new location (6300 NE St. James Road, Suite 104B). Our first reading in the new bookstore took place on April 14, 2011. We have had some amazing featured readers over the years, many of whom have traveled long distances despite the fact that we had little to offer them other than a place to stay and a meal or two. A few of them have shared their thoughts about the series, and you can find these comments at the end of the book. I have also provided a timeline listing all of the featured readers through 2010. Our first featured reader was David Madgalene, a dear friend who I refer to as my “poetic soulmate” because of the support and feedback he has provided me since we first met at the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics in 1997. We have since welcomed many of the Northwest’s most accomplished and exciting writers, folks who have won awards and secured our place on the national literary scene. We have hosted important poetic elders such as David Meltzer and Charles Potts, and provided local poets with their first featured reading. Our readers have come from far and wide: California, Maryland, British Columbia, the United Kingdom, and various regions of Oregon and Washington. Poetry is often marginalized and misunderstood. Considering the way that it is often taught—by insisting on the most safe and inoffensive poetry one can find in a preemptive effort to keep parents at bay—it is a miracle that any American high school graduate finishes school with an appreciation for poetry. Knowing this, some of us have taken up Allen Ginsberg and Anne Waldman’s role as “ambassador for poetry” in our communities in order to do damage control. We attempt to deprogram those who have been raised to see poetry as boring and elitist, to show them that it can be both fun and relevant to their lives. I am indebted to our featured readers for helping me to achieve this goal. If nothing else, the diversity of the work presented demonstrates that poetry is not just one thing. Our featured readers have presented rhyming poetry, slam poetry, academic poetry, sound poetry, and everything in between. Their generosity and brilliance has provided our local poets with an education in the limitless possibilities of this art form. We have a very pro-Bukowski crowd, and we have been very lucky to have had two featured readers who not only knew Charles Bukowski, but were willing to share stories about him and do spot-on impressions of his voice: Charles Potts and Neeli Cherkovski. Lorraine Healy, the Argentinian poet who stayed in town an extra day to teach a great workshop on Pablo Neruda, later informed me that the flier I had created for her reading had helped her to earn her American citizenship. Finally, I am very proud to have featured Vancouver poets who have published work: Eileen Elliott, Jim Martin, Kyle David Congdon, Kori Sayer, Toni Partington, and Norma Mizer. Being from Long Island, I feel uniquely qualified to help the Vancouver poets hold their heads high and be proud of their scene. Long Island, too, suffers from being in the shadow of a larger, hipper nearby city. One of my goals has always been to persuade Portland poets to travel across the river. In New York, getting from the island to the city is a hassle, and can be expensive. Here, where Vancouver is a 15-20 minute drive across a bridge, there is no excuse other than lack of imagination. One of the things that I have noticed is that Portland residents are reluctant to travel from one quadrant of the city to another to get dinner, so coaxing them to venture into Vancouver is quite an accomplishment. Therefore, I am very grateful for our regular attendees from Portland: Steve Williams and Constance Hall, Dennis McBride, Mike G., Mary Slocum, Ric Vrana, David Matthews. I first began interacting with the Portland poetry community in 2003, and I am happy to report that I was embraced right away. Friends like Chris Cottrell, then host of the Subterranean Beat Revival, Spare Room Collective’s David Abel, Irradiated Poet Joe Wheeler, Jason Mashak, Brittany Baldwin, Sage Cohen, Doug Spangle, Sean Patrick Hill and others made me feel welcome and provided me with support. I have also been fortunate to find friendship, mentorship, and support from local legends such as Paulann Petersen, Dan Raphael, Doug Marx, and Walt Curtis. Walt and Barbara LaMorticella, co-hosts of KBOO’s Monday night poetry program, Talking Earth, have graciously invited me and other Vancouver poets on the air more than once. I am grateful to Charles Potts for welcoming me into the brotherhood of emcees and giving his time and his books to the young poets of Vancouver. Not only did Charles make a great impression on our audience, he also developed a friendship with Alex Birkett, one of the younger poets in our community. Charles sent a box full of copies of Potts’s book Kiot for Alex to distribute as he wished. If you’re interested in knowing more about Cahrles Potts’s work as a poet and publisher, check out my interview with him: http://christopherluna-poetry.blogspot.com/2012/04/partners-in-truth-and-beauty-april-2012.html
Intergenerational exchange may be our greatest accomplishment. Older poets including Tom Davis, David Meltzer, and Margareta Waterman have had a profound impact on our writers in their teens and twenties. I am also proud that we regularly host open mic readers whose ages range from six to 80. After a few years, we finally began to see audience members who had come simply to listen. This is nearly impossible to achieve. Most poetry readings primarily consist of writers reading to other writers. However, if you believe that poetry has something to say to the rest of society, we must find ways to reach them. I am very grateful to the Vancouver businesses that have supported us in various ways: Angst Gallery, Niche Wine and Art Bar, The Catalyst, Everybody’s Music, Mint Tea, Moe’s Hair Styling, North Bank Tavern, Pop Culture, Provecho, and Urban Eccentric. The series would not exist without our loyal regulars, who have kept things going for years. Being the host of such an event is a great privilege. We have become more than a community of like-minded wordsmiths; we are a family. We have proven that poetry can help people to understand themselves better, and that poetry can heal. Not everyone who gets up to read is a lifer, but all of them have something worthwhile to say. Having an opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings can be cathartic, healing, and fun. The greatest honor of hosting an event like this is welcoming someone to the mic for the very first time, and watching as the wave of love and attention rolls over them. As horrifying as it is to face the crowd, many of them see that not only will they survive the experience, they will be better for it. Some even get hooked. A little encouragement goes a long way. I will continue to serve the community in this way for as long as they want me. In 2007 Toni Partington came into my life. Toni is a truly remarkable woman who has distinguished herself as a poet, artist, editor, mother, teacher, social worker, life coach, and grant writer. We became friends, lovers, and partners. She is my most trusted confidante, and she respects and values me as a person. All of the best ideas for improving the open mic have come from her. She has observed the process closely and helped me to see how we can run things more efficiently, and honor the poets more effectively. At first, she preferred to remain behind the scenes, and although I acknowledged her contributions from the mic, I handled the hosting duties alone. Eventually she was persuaded to join me as a co-host. She has also taken an active role in planning and organizing the event. In 2011 we founded Printed Matter Vancouver. Our first book was an anthology of some of the poets who have read in the series. We followed that up with Serenity in the Brutal Garden (http://www.amazon.com/Serenity-Brutal-Garden-Poetry-Jenney/dp/1470132591), the debut volume from Jenney Pauer, a Vancouver poet who is simply one of the best spoken word artists I have ever seen. For more information about the press, the series, and the services that our company provides, please visit www.printedmattervancouver.com. Together we hope to continue to create an environment in which everyone can feel safe to share their work without fear of judgment or ridicule. Thank you, poets, for your bravery and your beautiful words. There is a mantra I sometimes recite as a positive affirmation which applies equally well to my relationship with Toni as it does to my love for this community of poets and artists: I am a rich man, and I am surrounded by beauty. GHOST TOWN POETRY OPEN MIC
FEATURED READERS 2004-2012
Ice Cream Renaissance Featured Readers 2005
Thursday, May 12: David Madgalene
Ice Cream Renaissance Featured Readers 2006
Thursday, January 12: Brittany Baldwin
Thursday, March 9: Dennis Arlo Voorhees
Thursday, April 13: Marc Marcel
Thursday, July 13: Norma Mizer
Thursday, September 7: G.L. Morrison
Thursday, October 12: Flora Durham
Thursday, November 9: Ken Palmer (R.I.P.) Thursday, December 7: Roy Seitz
Cover to Cover Featured Readers 2007
Thursday, January 11: Mary Szybist and Jerry Harp
Thursday, February 8: Tom Davis & Jim Templeton (piano)
Thursday, March 8: Danielle Champiet
Thursday, May 10: Ann Snyder and the students in her Clark College women’s studies class
Thursday, June 14: David Hill
Thursday, July 12: Poets from the River Poets anthology: Toni Partington, Sean McGill, Lee Powell, and Danielle Champiet
Thursday, August 9: Dan Raphael
Thursday, September 13: Paula Sinclair
Thursday, October 11: The Striped Water Poets Round Table of Auburn, Washington: Lana Hechtman Ayers, Maggie Kelly, David Rizzi
Thursday, November 8: Sharon Wood Wortman
Thursday, December 13: Judith Montgomery
Cover to Cover Featured Readers 2008
Thursday, January 10: One Year Anniversary Celebration
Thursday, February 14: Sage Cohen
Thursday, March 13: Paul Nelson (WPA President, founder of Spoken Word Lab)
Thursday, April 10: Naropa/Ginsberg reading: John Chinworth, Christopher Luna, Marcus Mennes, Shin Yu Pai
Thursday, May 8: Charles Potts
Thursday, June 12: Margareta Waterman
Thursday, July 10: Kyle and Kori
Thursday, August 14: Paulann Petersen
Thursday, September 11: Jack Lorts
Thursday, October 9: Nancy Thompson
Thursday, November 13: David Hill
Thursday, December 11: Sam Green, Washington’s Poet Laureate
Cover to Cover Featured Readers for 2009
Thursday, January 8: Second anniversary with GHOST TOWN, USA launch and postcard poets Lana Ayers, Diane Cammer, Eileen Elliott, Naomi Fast, and Maggie Kelly
Thursday, February 12: Catherine Warner
Thursday, March 12 – Friday, March 13: Lorraine Healey
Thursday, April 9: David Abel
Thursday, May 14: David Meltzer, Michael Rothenberg
Thursday, June 11: Jeff Lair
Thursday, July 9: Judith Arcana
Thursday, August 13: Jim Martin
Thursday, September 10: Eileen Elliott
Thursday, October 8: Sage Cohen
Thursday, October 29 – Friday, October 30: Neeli Cherkovski
Thursday, November 12: Melissa Beal
Thursday, December 10: Casey Bush
Cover to Cover Featured Readers 2010
Thursday, January 14: Wind Wing book launch with Toni Partington
Thursday, February 11: Laura Winter
Thursday, March 11: Barbara LaMorticella
Thursday, March 25/Saturday, March 27: Danika Dinsmore reading and workshop
Thursday, April 8: Walt Curtis and James Honzik
Thursday, May 13: Jack McCarthy
Thursday, June 10: Kristin Berger
Thursday, July 8: David Madgalene
Thursday, August 12: Sheryl Clough
Thursday, September 9: Ed Coletti
Thursday, October 14: Carlos Reyes
Thursday, November 11: Penelope Scambly Schott
Thursday, December 9: VoiceCatcher 5 Book Launch with Jo Barney, Elizabeth Elfring, Lisa Maier, Kristin Roedell, and four of the artists whose work appears in the anthology: Anni Becker, April Bullard, Jane Poole, and Sara *
Cover to Cover Featured Readers 2011
January 13, 2011: Fourth Anniversary with Richard Brautigan archivist and WSU-Vancouver professor John Barber
February 10, 2011: Turiya Autry (workshop Feb. 11)
March 10, 2011: Dennis McBride
April 14, 2011: Ghost Town Poetry Anthology book launch
May 12, 2011: Carolyne Wright
June 9, 2011: Michael Daley (set up additional reading at St. Johns if possible)
July 14, 2011: Tommy Gaffney
August 11, 2011: Dan Nelson
September 8, 2011: September 11 memorial with Constance Hall and Christopher Luna
Tuesday, October 11: Uphook Press Reading: Judith Arcana, Christopher Luna, Jane Ormerod
October 13, 2011: John Amen
November 10, 2011: Peter Ludwin
December 8, 2011: VoiceCatcher 6 Reading: April Bullard, Deb Scott, Leah Stenson, Alice Hardesty, Dawn Thompson, Meredith Stewart
Cover to Cover Featured Readers 2012
January 12, 2012: Five Year Anniversary Reading with musical guests Jennifer Pratt-Walter, Bret Jorgensen, and Lincoln’s Beard
February 9, 2012: John Sibley Williams
March 8, 2012: John Burgess
April 12, 2012: Jenney Pauer book launch
May 11, 2012: David Matthews
June 14, 2012: Leah Stenson
July 12, 2012: Patrick Bocarde and Melissa Sillitoe
August 9, 2012: Anatoly Molotkov with guitarist Ragon Linde
Premiere of Chris Martin's film about Christopher Luna: Season 2, Episode 1 "Innovators of Vancouver"
September 13, 2012: Julene Tripp Weaver
October 11, 2012: Kristin Roedell and Traci Schatz
November 8, 2012: Ric Vrana
December 13, 2012: Mary Slocum
