Shut Up and Eat Poetry Open Mike

What We’re About

This is a safe space to share your words and to enjoy others sharing theirs. Our intent is to reinvigorate the poetic scene in SE as a collective group of artists and aficionados. We hope you will join us for these evenings of creativity, culture, and community.

How We Do Things

We meet on the second Wednesday of every month starting October 12, 2016. If we draw a regular audience we will see about increasing the frequency.

We put out the clipboard for sign-ins by 6:25 PM and will start the first reading around 6:35 PM. You are welcome to come early to have a bite or a drink. Poets read in the order they sign up and will have five minutes each to read in order to allow for many people to participate.

The format will always be poetry readings unless stated otherwise in the schedule below. You’re invited to read your own poetry or someone else’s. It’s good manners to ensure that the poetry is published or that you have the poet’s permission. We like good manners. You may read poets who are living or dead. And, you may read in any language as long as you please read an English translation of the poem immediately before or immediately after the non-English version so that all can enjoy.

We read until 8:00 PM because that’s when the restaurant closes. Theodore Roethke’s “The Waking” is the last poem read. That’s how you know we’re done for the night.

Code of Conduct

We are passionately dedicated to strengthening a safe space community and inclusive environment. To us, a safe space is a place where anyone can feel empowered to express themselves openly and safely, free from discrimination, intimidation, judgement and physical or verbal harassment.

A safe space is also a place where respect for all is the ultimate rule.

Be nice, be considerate, be respectful. This open mic is considered a ‘safe space’ where no-one is disadvantaged or discouraged from contributing, so long as they respect others’ ability to contribute. All members must be respectful and considerate of the contributions of others. We as that noise be kept to an extreme minimum during a reading.

Ensure a harassment-free and safe experience for everyone regardless of ability, background, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, physical ability, appearance, body size, race, age, religion or any other characteristic or trait. We have zero tolerance for harassment in any form and for any part of our open mic including publicly on social media after the readings. Individuals violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the venue at the discretion of the organizers.

Unacceptable behaviors include harassing, abusive, discriminatory, or derogatory conduct. Harassment includes: offensive comments; inappropriate use of sexual images; deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following; harassing photography or recording; sustained disruption of talks or events; inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention. When asked to stop any harassing behavior, participants are expected to comply immediately.

We will never practice censorship of art! However, we will open a discussion concerning oppressive language or behavior when it is used inside our open mic. Please be prepared to participate in a conversation if you use language that hurts people. You may be asked to apologize if you hurt someone. We support an open dialogue for building and strengthening our community. No one will be ostracized or humiliated as we will do all that we can to provide an inclusive atmosphere for all.

That being said, we strongly encourage participants of our open mic to consider your audience. Please practice respect for all within your community.

*Note: this code of conduct is adapted from Swift London, The Poet Rising Project, and Jumptown Swing. If you have suggestions on how to improve this code of conduct or the open mic experience, please let us know!

[from the Meet Up webpage]