Many working poets take it upon themselves to make a grass roots effort to get out there and work those poems… make them sing. Sell some books. Yet it’s not always easy to translate from the desk to the stage. I’d like to write a bit about this…
The other night I read at a house party. As a published poet…. I am selling my book Constellation Road, as well as the newest Wheelsong Poetry Anthology Three. I thought this was the best way to get some practice in before some coffee houses and library gigs, as well as full fledge street poet style, which is not out of the question. I’d leave that blog to Steve Wheeler for street poets!
The poetry reading was a great success, and I learned some valuable lessons other than lightening the load of my book box.
Stepping out in front of people takes guts. It’s not easy to avoid tripping over your own tongue. Here’s a top ten list to consider before hitting the open mic poetry stage…
—
#1 Be Prepared.
Know which poems you are going to read and be able to get to them instantly.
#2 Know Where To Place Inflections.
Performance poetry has its ups and downs in volume, has succinct pronunciations, and intentional breaks…. Know where these are when you read for maximum effect.
#3 Make Eye Contact.
Keeping engaged with your audience keeps them engaged with you.
#4 Be Passionate
Just as you can tell musicians are really into the song and their joy is infectious, tap into this as well. Use your hands! Use your body! Move! Have facial expressions! Express!
#5 Get To The Skinny
Remember you are there to read poems not talk. Maybe a little something something to mention… but stick to the poetry, thank you, and outta there.
#6 No Distractions
Stay focused. Anybody on stage has to react to audience… or not. If you do… keep it short and polite.
#7 Stay Professional
Off color comments can lead you down wrong turn roads real fast…. Stay professional always and you can’t go wrong.
#8 Put Your Books Right In Front Of You
I am very shy about selling things. This was my BIGGEST TAKEAWAY. I didn’t mention I had books for sale. I sold a number of them… near the end of the night! Oops! So… set them out and mention them!
#9 Pick Your Best
Some poems don’t translate so well as performance pieces while others are fantastic! Choose which ones work for you best.
#10 Have Fun!
Most important… people can tell if you are nervous, yet folks are also moved by confidence. Be proud of yourself, step up there, and have fun with it!
—
Reading your own work can be incredible! I love what I do, and I think it shows best when I am up there in front of folks reading my poetry! It makes all the hard work worth it.
I’d love to hear from you if you’ve done this before and may have something to add , or even just share. Thank you for reading!
Matt Elmore
