Poets: A Wealth of Open Mics Await You in Second Life (1st in a series)

Roughly eight months ago, I tiptoed around a hedge and peaked at my first poetry reading in Second Life.  I was still a newbie who knew nothing about HUDs that let avatars know who else is around, so I thought I was hiding pretty good.  That is, until I heard a woman’s voice say, “Welcome, Alas! Come on in and join us.”

Now, I’ve attended plenty of poetry readings in First Life, but this was an open-mic reading, and given the rural First Life area in which I live, open-mic poetry readings come along oh every two ice ages or so.  As a result, I’d stood up and read my poetry in front of people only twice—ever! I was trembling.

Fortunately, my avatar didn’t tremble along with me, so she was able to put on a calm, confident face and stroll into the small gathering, a single poem clutched in her inventory.  And she/I read it.  Out loud. To about ten other avatars who applauded when I finished.

Since then I’ve gained considerable experience in SL reading my written work aloud to others, and every time I do that, I further develop the skills and confidence I need to read to give a good reading in First Life.  I still tremble a bit, but now I also have fun!

If you’re a poet, you know how few avenues First Life offers for getting your poetry in front of others—either in print or orally.  Well, the situation in Second Life is just the opposite!  There’s a wealth of opportunities for poets here. Whether you’re too shy to participate in an open mic in First Life, or, like me (as I wrote in an earlier post) have no opportunities without driving halfway around the world, your treasure awaits you in Second Life.

Now, just about any day of the week, I can sit down at my keyboard (from wherever I and my PC are located in First Life), and within minutes be:

• Sitting at the feet of a major poet
• Reading poetry at one of many open mics
• Getting free or inexpensive writing instruction
• And hundreds of other activities

In fact, SL offers so many resources, I can’t list them in a single post. So consider this part 1 of the “Poets’ Resources Series”!

Today I’ll share my journey through “open-mic wonderland” this weekend, when in the space of 48 hours, I participated in three awesome poetry events, reading my own work and listening to some terrific poetry by others.

(There are a lot more open-mic events every week in SL, and I’ll be adding them to this series as I proceed.)

Friday at Poetry in Pixels

Always looking for new experiences in SL, I did an SL event search for upcoming “Arts & Culture” events.  Topping the list was a “Poetry Open Mic” at a place I’d not heard of before:  Poetry in Pixels. Starting in 15 minutes.  I immediately teleported there to check it out.

Poetry in Pixels is a four-story art gallery and library that’s part of Tammy Connolly’s beautiful building reminiscent of both Zen Buddhism and Frank Lloyd Wright.  In a cozy, book-lined room on the third floor, open-mic readings are held every Friday. The 15 minutes flew by, and before I knew it, the hour-long open mic had started and finished . . . and I still didn’t want to leave.

The reading was moderated by friendly, supportive Violet Nishi.  I hadn’t planned to read during my first time here, but Ms. Nishi and the others encouraged me so much, I ended up sharing two poems.

About six others attended (a smaller-than-average group, from what I gathered), and the poetry ranged from political satire to love poetry to impressive literary work. I especially enjoyed “listening” to a French poet using a translator device that displayed each line in both the original French and an English translation.

What to Know about Poetry in Pixels’ Readings:

When: Fridays, 2 to 3 p.m. SLT

Where: Lockhart-Shaulis Memorial Library inside the Poetry in Pixels Gallery on Artstonia.  (SLURL)

What: Both poets and poetry-lovers are invited to come and share their writing, or just listen to the others.

How: Readers can use either voice or text chat to present their poetry. If you don’t have a PC microphone for voice, you can type your poem into text chat, line by line, or use a line-reader tool (or a translation device like the French poet did).

Cost: Absolutely free, though you may want to donate a few Linden dollars to the upkeep of this beautiful space, where you can also borrow books “written and donated by the many talented writers and poets of SL.“

Second Life group:  For updates and notices about the weekly open mic and all other events here, join the Poetry in Pixels Gallery Group.

Saturday at Rhythm & Rhyme Lounge

From the calm and soothing . . . to the wild and crazy! Rhythm & Rhyme’s Saturday open-mic reading was as lively as the lounge it’s set in.  Owner Jewel Reyes opened with a video of a fabulous spoken-word performance from First Life, then led a discussion about its techniques. (Great bit of learning thrown in there for free!)

Ms. Reyes opened up the live event by reading several of her own works, which were stunningly written and delivered. Then she invited those in the audience who wished to read poetry or any other “spoken word” forms.  Speaking to an audience of roughly 15 avatars (some sitting at the bar or in booths, others moving about while listening), those who took the stage offered a great variety of poems ranging from the sublime to the hilarious.

I left the Rhythm & Rhyme Lounge feeling enlivened and inspired.

What to Know about Rhythm & Rhyme Lounge’s Readings:

What & When:  Currently, Rhythm & Rhyme hosts two poetry/spoken-word open-mics each weekend:

• Open Mic Saturdays, 1-3 p.m. SLT, featuring the “Spoken Word Video of the Week,” followed by the open mic.  Readers with work related to the week’s theme (new theme every week) read first, then if time permits, spoken art on any theme can be presented.
• Open Mic Contest on Sundays, 3-5 p.m. SLT, for “all spoken word artists, poets, singers, rappers to come share your creativity and compete!” Prizes are awarded to the top three vote-getters, ranging from L$1,200 to L$350 in gift cards and cash.

Where: Rhythm & Rhyme Lounge on Phoenix Determined.  (SLURL)

How: All readings are done in voice chat, so you’ll either need a microphone and have your SL viewer’s voice features enabled, or ask someone else with a PC mic to read your writing.

Cost: Absolutely free; in fact, at the Saturday readings, the Lounge intermittently awards Linden-dollar prizes to random members of the lounge’s SL group in attendance (though you will be enticed to spend your winnings on the beverages at the bar!).

Second Life group: For notices of all events, join the Rhythm & Rhyme Group, whose “focus is on creativity, respect, and sharing of knowledge.”

Sunday at Blue Angel Poet’s Dive Bar

I’ve heard about the famous Blue Angel Poet’s Dive Bar from almost my first day in Second Life.  It’s an SL institution; owner Persephone Phoenix is one of the “oldest” avatars in SL, having joined in 2004.  The Blue Angel weekly poetry reading is one of the longest-running in the virtual world—since August 2006.

But my First Life schedule always seems to get in the way of attending one of these readings, so this weekend, I resolved to attend—and was I ever glad I did!

The Poet’s Dive looks just like its name—an old, beatnik-type bar that even offers you a free beret when you arrive.  Approximately 15 avatars were sprawled out on blue beanbags around the stage when I arrived—literally a laid-back affair!

Ms. Phoenix, who is a poet of remarkable skill and talent, started the event by reading a few of her works and those of another attendee (who didn’t have voice capabilities).  Then she called on each of the poets who’d signed up to read. She introduced each one with applause, and gave excellent, supportive feedback to all of them.

The two-hour event concluded with a Poetry Challenge, which I unfortunately couldn’t stay for.  It does sound intriguing—the notice for the event invites everyone to “stick around for the Poetry Challenge at the end of the event to keep your lead sharp. BYOB (Bring Your Own Bongos).”

What to Know about Blue Angel Poet’s Dive Readings:

When: Every Sunday, 5 to 7 p.m. SLT

Where: The Blue Angel, “a dive bar for poets and literary events” on Windermere.  (SLURL)

What: “Bring your meter, your rhyme, your free verse, your spoken word: in short, your poems to the Blue Angel Poets’ Dive and dive in to some wordy wonderment.”

How: All readings are done in voice chat, so you’ll either need a microphone and have your SL viewer’s voice features enabled, or ask someone else with a PC mic to read your writing.  A “line reader” at the Blue Angel displays the poetry in text chat as the poet reads it aloud.

Cost: Absolutely free, though you may spend a few Linden bucks on some of the inviting drinks available at the bar!

Second Life group: To receive updates, IM Ms. Phoenix for an invitation to The Blue Angel VIP Group: “We burn cold like neon, not as gods but as angels, amped on alternating current and fading against the black night — or something.”

You can watch a YouTube clip from a Blue Angel open mic reading here.

I’ve already got a list of open mics for my next post in this series, but I know there’s a ton of options in Second Life for poets to read and even publish their work. What venues have you found?  And if you’ve given them a try, what did you think?  The unheard poets of the world want to hear about them!

Tagged as: Blue Angel Poets' Dive Bar, Poetry, Poetry in Pixels, Poetry reading, Rhythm & Rhyme Lounge, SL open mic