At nineteen I was saved by a coffeehouse. An open mic. A tall guy in long suits and a set of conga drums down by the river that stank of carp and boiled brown water. I could have been anything.
Wednesday nights the place jammed with kids looking to be in a town where nobody wanted them around. Music. Smokes. Skateboard addled dreamers cursing on the sidewalk hyped on caffeine. Downtown.
Across the river the bowling ally lit neon. Dropouts in trench coats and big hair clipped the pavement hard and fast in twenty dollar boots. Taxi cabs at three a.m. outside gas stations where stranded girls waited to be dropped back home, one lie away from being found out.
First open mic, nobody knew the place. One woman and a stack of paper held the floor with story after story. Bold, brash, and damn if I didn’t want to be her, brave. Micro audience of three.
Weeks later word got out with the tales and the music. I kicked my feet. Tapped fingers on tabletops. Guzzled sixteen ounce mugs of black bliss. Scared shitless.
Poetry then. Shaking on a bar stool, I was too red and timid to use the mic. Words. Then came words like all there was to life was to be nineteen on a bar stool in a coffeehouse reading poetry written in a spiral notebook with a black ink pen.
“Scare yourself,” he said.
And I was saved.
***
Welcome to V’sPlace. Leave your fear at the door.
Absolutely beautiful prose. Love this, want more!! Happy New Year V, what a great start to the year for you.
Thank you, Julie. Glad to have you share it with me.
Wonderful. This takes me back to my days in the open mic circuit, except I was 26, but I never got up and read on those Wed nights at Gaga Cafe–not til the end, not until 2 yrs of being a listener. Nonetheless I was so moved and inspired by the raw honesty of this group of uber-talented poets that it took my breath away. However, one kind soul read my poems for me–he said he’d be my voice while I was finding it–his voice/my words–THAT was powerful gift for me. Open mics can be extremely healing and good prep for what is to come, to be sure! Congrats on this beautiful site.
Thanks, Ilie. What a great story and an amazing amount of patience for you. Two years! It must have been incredible hearing someone read your words for you.
I remember when I first sat on that bar stool I mumbled something about falling off. Later someone said next time I should sit on the floor. I did. After that it was expected and they all sat on the floor with me. I’d like to have a actual place like that one day.
I love everything about this new place, especially the last bit. Leave your fear at the door.
Yay.
Love it! Poetry in itself.
Thank you so much, ladies!
Now, your headliner banner thingy looks like a bar and your sign says “imbibe,” so are we crackin’ beers to celebrate? I toast your grand opening! And, thank you for visiting my blog and commenting—you and your fellow Wisconian (sp?) occupiers are inspirations to us all; I know this household followed last year’s marches, sit-ins, sleep-ins with bated breath. You all are rock stars and role models (and that’s making me tear up!) All the best
Thank you, Kat. Have a brew on me. Visiting your blog was a pleasure, and Wisconsin is grateful for your support. Cheers!
Wow wow wow! Love your new digs! And this is perfect–> “Welcome to V’sPlace. Leave your fear at the door.”
I’ll be a regular!
I hope you will, Beth!
Well done. I was right there with you. Descriptions you wrote were a lot of fun.
Thank you, Charles. There will be more of that showing up. Stick around.
Congratulations on the grand opening! I have many great writers to recommend, and a few artists and musicians, too.
Although I wasn’t saved by a coffee house, I was definitely seduced by one — the Halfway Inn (aka the Half Ass) in Ann Arbor. I never thought I was cool enough to hang out there, but I did attempt some of my first creative writing pieces sitting at those tables.
Luck and love to you!
Victoria, This is AMAZING! You have done such a good job over here! XOXOX
Glad I dropped by. You’ve got a wonderful place here. Congrats on your grand opening. xxx
My tailbone is uncurled and loose after visiting V’s Place. Nice place, miss V!
Hi V,
You were one of my first followers on Twitter about a year ago, thanks to Susan Bearman. I love your new site; it’s crisp and clean — and fearless!
salutations from across the sea. Great post I shall return for more.
V, this is one of the most interesting sites I have ever tripped across. Thank you for making it so very real!
My only regret in being here is that I never found you sooner. I’m bowled over by the creativity, openness, and just plain writerly ability you possess. Love the site. Love the post. Love your style.
At 19 I was at art college in Brighton (UK) with Deep Purple and Pink Floyd playing at the university and Leonard Cohen providing me with a persona I hadn’t earned. I learned to say nothing because having long hair and looking vacant was what counted, and I could do that! It took a whole feminist revolution for so many of us to leave fear at the door though, and this is a lovely new place to do it
Excellent writing. I love how your prose spills into poetry (or the other way around). Quite a homey place you have here. Think I will stay awhile. It reminds me of when I was in college muttering verses about clove cigarettes, the moon, margaritas, politics, and God.