
In the summer of 2012 the Adirondack Art Association organized the first in what would become a monthly tradition of Poetry Open Mic events. AAA Gallery Director Steven Krolak and Essex bon vivant Jeff Moredock delivered a consistently inspiring and well attended poetry series that summer. A monthly community poetry reading welcomed and entertained all and ensured that the series was renewed the next summer.
Yet even more inspiring is that those poetry events encouraged a winter poetry series at the Belden Noble Memorial Library! Now the Essex Poetry Open Mic nights are a year-round presence in Essex, NY.
Whether you’re a poet or a poetry fan, you’re invited — free of charge — to join your friends and neighbors for all manner of poems read aloud. Share works in progress and get helpful feedback. Share your finished poems or those by your favorite poets. Or simply listen.
Poetry in Essex FAQ
Q: Is it really an open mic?
A: Yes. And no. Next Wednesday’s community poetry reading is wide open to the public. But you’ll find no microphone. The space is intimate. And the acoustics are groovy. No microphone is needed. So, strictly speaking the Poetry Open Mic is not really an “open mic”.
Q: Is it actually a poetry slam?
A: No. While last summer’s poetry events were billed as poetry slams, they were actually just informal, public public readings in which everyone was invited to share their own poetry aloud with a friendly and supportive audience. Poetry slams are competitive.
“Simply put, poetry slam is the competitive art of performance poetry. It puts a dual emphasis on writing and performance, encouraging poets to focus on what they’re saying and how they’re saying it. A poetry slam is a competitive event in which poets perform their work and are judged by members of the audience.” (Poetry Slam – General FAQ)
Q: Is it child friendly?
A: Although poets are invited to decide for themselves whether or not their material is appropriate for the audience, there are sometimes children in attendance and even reading or reciting their own poems. I attended all of the poetry last summer summer and never once did I witness poetry that was inappropriate for children.
Q: Is there a fee to attend? To read?
A: Although similar events elsewhere often require payment for attendance, it is totally free to attend and/or read at the Poetry Open Mics.
Q: Do I have to be a published poet to read?
A: Certainly not. Most of the poets reading write poetry for fun rather than profit. (Excuse the cheeky aside to all writers who’ve grown rich publishing poetry!)
Essex Poetry Open Mic Photo Gallery
Submit your own photos, and we just may include them here!
Popular Essex Poetry Open Mic Posts
Essex Poetry Open Mic Archive
If you’re curious, the following posts featured or mentioned the Essex Poetry Open Mic events since June 2011.
- Poetry Night at the Belden Noble Memorial LibraryA poet lurks inside every one of us; sometimes they sneak out into time and space and provide us with ...
- Poetry Night at the LibraryWordsmiths and Wordjoneses are all invited. You can read your own or others, listen, laugh, cry, and generally be entertained. ...
- Upcoming Essex Events 8/23-8/30Learn about the events happening in and around Essex, NY! Check out the schedule below created from the Essex Calendar of Events to ...
- Upcoming Events at the Essex LibraryThe Belden Noble Memorial Library has several programs scheduled over the next few weeks: For Children Thursday, Aug 13, 2:00 pm — ...
- Upcoming Essex Events 8/10-8/17Learn about the events happening in and around Essex, NY! Check out the schedule below created from the Essex Calendar of Events to ...
- Upcoming Essex Events 6/15-6/22Learn about the events happening in and around Essex, NY! Check out the schedule below created from the Essex Calendar of Events to ...
- Upcoming Essex Events 3/16-3/23Learn about the events happening in and around Essex, NY! Check out the schedule below created from the Essex Calendar of Events to ...
- Upcoming Essex Events 2/16-2/23Do you want to learn about the events happening in and around Essex, NY? Check out the schedule below created from the ...
- Essex Library Upcoming Events, New Titles, and Water WoesThe Belden Noble Memorial Library has three items to report this week. Take a look and hope to see you ...
- Library Poetry Open Mic ScheduleIt’s time to announce the poetry open mic schedule for the beginning of 2014 , which takes place at the Belden Noble ...
- Essex Library Poetry Open MicThursday, December 19 at 7:00PM At the Belden Noble Memorial Library, Essex, NY Open mic poetry nights have begun again at the ...
- Essex, NY Not Just A Summer TownKathy Recchia recently shared her experience out on the town in Essex, NY one November evening. Recchia assumed that our ...
- Upcoming Essex Events 11/17-11/24Every Sunday we update you with the events of the upcoming week with information gathered from the Essex Calendar of ...
- Essex Library Event AnnouncementsWe want to make you aware of a few events coming soon to the Belden Noble Memorial Library: Essex Library Silent ...
- Essex Library Poetry Open Mic NightThursday, November 21 at 7:00PM At the Belden Noble Memorial Library, Essex, NY Open mic poetry nights are beginning yet again at ...
- July Poetry NightSitting inside? Reading prose? Watching the moss grow Between your toes? As the weather gets worse It’s time for good verse. Come to Poetry Night! ~ Jeff ...
- Essex Library Poetry Open MicWednesday, May 1 at 7:00 p.m Belden Noble Library, Essex, NY Free to attend! The last open mic poetry event of the Belden ...
- Poetry Open Mic in Essex on Wednesday, March 27It’s time for another Poetry Open Mic in Essex, NY at the Belden Noble Library. Whether you participated in January’s poetry ...
- Local, Organic, Free-Range Poetry Open MicIt’s time for another Poetry Open Mic in Essex! January’s poetry gathering at the Belden Noble Library celebrated local poetry ranging ...
- Local, Organic, Free-Range Poetry in EssexPoetry in Essex is back! I know, it’s not summer and the Adirondack Art Association is shuttered until the Canada ...
- Poetry Open Mic at the Belden Noble LibraryYou may have noticed the smell of spring in Essex these last few days. Don’t get duped. It’s a hoax. A ...
- Summer Postpartum Poetry in Essex, NYSummer postpartum depression got you down? Fear not. Poetry in Essex is the perfect antidote to the “So Long, Summer ...
- Poetry in EssexIs there life in Essex, NY after the July 4th holidays? Absolutely. And poetry too! On Tuesday night I witnessed plenty ...
- Essex Poetry, Taxes and Poet LaureateEssex poetry and Essex taxes infrequently cohabit the same sentence. Clearly this is an oversight. In a letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy ...
- Poetry Slam TuesdayTomorrow the Adirondack Art Association Board Chairperson, Jeff Moredock, will host the second Essex poetry slam at 6:00 pm. Last summer’s poetry ...
- Poetry Sham, Spam, Slam!Come to the first annual Essex poetry slam on Friday, September 23. This exciting announcement was dropped off the other ...