Forget what you think you know about poetry. Charleston's top poets are making bold moves, experimenting with new ways to approach an ancient art form, and they are inviting everyone to the party. To celebrate National Poetry Month, we spoke with three of the city's movers and shakers to find out why they're so excited about poetry's unlimited potential and to get the scoop on this month's must-see events.
Indie Film Lab
A$iahMae
An Evolving Art Form
"I consider myself more of a storyteller," says A$iahMae, Charleston's current Poet Laureate. "I write what I know, but I also write what I feel. [I see] poetry as a way to document my life." Indeed, many historians agree that poetry originally developed as a way for people to memorize and share the important stories of their tribe. "In practice, poetry maintained a social communication function for a long time," writes poet and academic scholar Carlos Aguasaco. "Poems were instruments of teaching and learning."
Poetry began as song, as an oral tradition, which allowed people to record long pieces of information. Poetry predates writing itself. In the essay "On the Origin and Future of Poetry: Notes Towards an Investigation," Aguasaco explains that it was the invention of writing, followed by invention of the printing press, and later, the internet, that allowed poetry's epic song to be distributed far and wide. Fast forward to the present: You'll find poets sharing their work on Tic Tock, Instagram, Facebook, and the social media site formerly known as Twitter. It has been a long, wild ride for the art of poetry.
A$iahMae is excited to introduce more Charlestonians to the city's cutting-edge poetry scene. "There are so many contemporary poets who are doing some amazing things," they say. "People come to poetry in different ways. I want people to be open to that space of people showing up to poetry in different ways."
Moving Forward
Miles
"I desperately want a poetry bus or a poetry-mobile I could drive through underserved communities and do pop-up readings and give away books," says Tamara Miles, the energetic president of the Poetry Society of South Carolina. "I have grand ambitions." The Society, which was founded in Charleston in 1920*, has a long history as one of the city's most prominent literary institutions. Over the years, the Society has evolved and changed with the times. (To learn more about the Society's first 100 years, check out Jim Lundy's book, The History of the Poetry Society of South Carolina: 1920-2021.)
Currently, the Society offers readings, workshops, and contests. But Miles also loves to take poetry on the road . . . or the water. Poetry Trails, created by board member Tina Baumis, is one of the out-of-the-box events the Society has produced. "[It] involves meeting in a park and reading poems, maybe doing writing exercises," says Miles. One of the Poetry Trails excursions included a poetry contest and a Swamp Boat Adventure at Cypress Gardens. "[We] did our poetry in the boats."
What's next? "Flash mob poetry would be so fun."
Everything, Everywhere, All At Once
"Everything is poetry to me," says Marcus Amaker, who served as the first Poet Laureate of Charleston. The multi-faceted creator writes operas, publishes books, gives workshops, and does graphic design for a national music magazine, among other things. He also founded Free Verse, a Charleston-based "open poetry community" that produces a festival, offers workshops, holds open mics, and publishes books.
Amaker embraces opportunities to combine his diverse talents. On May 4, he will be performing at Singers and Stanzas, an event produced by Holy City Arts and Lyric Opera (HALO), which will be held at Dock Street Theatre. The show will pair local poets with opera singers. "I'm playing with life," says Amaker. "Opera is one of the ways that I play with life. Poetry is one of the ways that I play with life. I don't feel defined by one or the other."
Amaker (Photo by Alice Keeney)
Multi-media events are one of the hallmarks of Charleston's avant-garde poetry scene. A$iahMae, who studied film in college, has collaborated with their best friend Sabrina Hyman, a model who currently runs a luxury balloon-art company, and with their partner CONCEPT RXCH, a visual and sonic collage artist.
"Most of us have to be multi-layered people in order to survive," they say. "But [it] comes naturally. You get involved in the arts [and] you end up with all these different talents in different spaces and it makes sense."
Come as You Are
All of the poets we interviewed want everyone to know they are welcome to join Charleston's poetry community. "Poetry is made to seem inaccessible in a lot of ways, but it's not," says A$iahMae. "It's not supposed to be."
Miles says the Society welcomes poets with no formal training as well as academics with long resumés. "Our mission is to serve poets at every level," she says. The Society also offers different price points for their workshops, so people at all income levels can participate. The price to attend a workshop in person is $10 for members and $15 for non-members; poets on a budget can join the Society's workshops via Zoom for free.
A$iahMae draws upon their personal experience to inform their outreach work. "[If you are] socialized as a Black girl in South Carolina and you like things that are weird, you might not think that there is space for you," they told us. "Growing up, I was considered weird, but when I got to college, I met people who understood me."
A$iahMae
A$iahMae, Amaker, and Miles are all working to change perceptions about the poetry community and to bring more people into the fold. "I've been able to see people take off, to open people's eyes," A$iahMae says. "[As Poet Laureate], I'm to be of service to my creative community. I'm thinking about people: How does this affect them [and] how am I being of service to elevate the quality of life for humankind."
Amaker sees it as part of his mission to help emerging writers. "[There are] a lot of poets out here," he says. "[I] make sure they all have the resources they need to support their craft. Because I've been given access to spaces, it's up to me to keep those doors as wide open as possible to let everybody in."
On a personal level, poetry "provides an outlet for me to speak completely freely, without ego," says Amaker. He explains why the discovery of poetry can be a life-changing moment. "When I was young, I had a more pronounced speech impediment; and I still hold a speech impediment, but it's not as pronounced as it used to be," he says. "Poetry provided that voice that seemed like it was often muted."
We All Need a Support System
A poetry community, by definition, consists of many people and institutions. Miles expressed her gratitude for the local establishments that help support the Society by providing physical spaces for readings, distributing authors' books, and even for providing great food to nourish the city's poets.
"We are deeply grateful to Buxton Books, because they have provided books for our poets for many years," she says. "They have come to us to sell books at readings. [The bookstore] is just around the corner from the Charleston Library Society, [so that is] very convenient too." Miles likes to take visiting poets to nearby Eli's Table for dinner. Miles also explained that the Society depends on local venues to host its readings. "We are very grateful to the Charleston Library Society and to the Unitarian Church for letting us use Gage Hall."
For Amaker, "Post and Courier was the spark." He credits the newspaper for providing the editorial job that brought him to Charleston in 2003. "I created 'Charleston Scene,'" he explains. "It was one of the highlights of my professional life because I got to connect with the community and local businesses. That experience opened me up for where I am now, so I'm grateful."
Amaker (photo by JB McCabe)
These days, Amaker often works in schools, providing workshops, giving presentations, and reading at story times. "[I am] reminding them that they are creative beings," he says. School visits are also something A$iahMae does, knowing from personal experience how important it is for teachers and guest speakers to help children find their voice and ensure that the poetry community will continue to grow.
A$iahMae, who says they are "actually very shy," grew as a performer through their involvement in theater, student government, and their high school's gospel choir. "I just wanted to be part of the choir -- I've always wanted to play the background," they explain. "[Choir director] Dr. Cooper [said] 'you can sing a lead if you want to -- you just have to want it."
"I've always had people who pushed me to the forefront," says A$iahMae. "I'm grateful that I had people seeing leadership potential in me."
Bonus: Where to Celebrate National Poetry Month in Charleston
April 8: Buxton Books, The Song of Everything: A Conversation Between Glenis Redmond and Lib Ramos, 6pm, Buxton Books
April 12: Free Verse Poets open mic featuring Rachel Laymoun, 7pm, at Public Works Art Center.
April 12: The Poetry Society of South Carolina Society, Poetry Reading by Tarfia Faizullah and Elizabeth Robin, 7pm, Gage Hall
April 13: The Society, Seminar/Workshop with Tarfia Faizullah, 10am, Gage Hall and Zoom
April 14: Tri-County Pixie Poets, Love Yourself: Journaling, Community-Building, Poetry-Sharing Event, 2pm, Hampton Park
April 19: Tri-County S. P. E. A. K. S., TCS SLAM Poetry for SAAM, 5:30, blūm
April 19: Clerk's Coffee, Open Mic Night, 6pm, Clerks Coffee Company at Hotel Emeline
April 25: Charleston Library Society, Book Tour Exclusive: J. Drew Lanham, "Joy is the Justice We Give Ourselves," 6pm, Charleston Library Society
*The Poetry Society of South Carolina was founded in Charleston in 1920, but the group's first official meeting took place on January 15, 1921.
