Brighten the (almost) longest night of the year by listening to some poetry—or sharing some writing of your own—at Poetry in the Boro at Dapper Owl on Sunday evening, December 22. Our feature will be poet Jacquelyn Swift. Read more about Jacqui below.
The features will be at 6:00, with open mic to follow. Drip coffee and light snacks will be available at no charge. However, we hope that you’ll order from Dapper Owl’s tasty menu to help make this a winning collaboration for all of us! Their menu includes coffee, tea, beer, cider, and baked goods.
About the open mic
Open mic readers can share poetry or spoken word: 2 poems or four minutes, whichever comes first. Reading a favorite poem by another writer is fine, too. Sign up for the open mic on site.
We always ask that readers be prepared to keep their pieces “PG-13” depending on our venue and audience, which sometimes includes younger people.
The Dapper Owl coffee pub is located at 2412 East Main St. just past its intersection with Rutherford Blvd., on the east side of the MTSU campus. Overflow parking is on the Arnold Lane side of the building – pull in perpendicular to the building to allow more cars to fit (careful of the AC unit!) or park on the side of road down Arnold Lane (please don’t block any driveways).
About our feature
Jacquelyn Swift is a Professor of English at Tennessee State University and the author of Monsters: Poetry on How to Bite Back, a compelling chapbook exploring resilience and identity through visceral, unapologetic verse. With over a decade of experience teaching English and fostering creative expression, Jacquelyn draws from her background as a spoken word artist and educator to craft poetry that resonates deeply with diverse audiences. Her work has been featured in academic journals and literacy non-profit initiatives. A passionate advocate for accessible art and education, Jacquelyn combines her love for storytelling with a dedication to inspiring others to find their voice
Challenge words
Here are our challenge words, chosen by our community at our last gathering. If you like, write a new piece to share that includes one, some, or ALL of these words:
blend | vexing | escapades | humanity | ornament | turning | cherub | skate | abbreviate | frolic
Or this month, on the longest night of the year, read anything that shines a light—or that praises the darkness!
Your donations are appreciated
ADMISSION IS FREE. A DONATION of $5 is appreciated to help us offset our costs. You can donate using PayPal at paypal.me/poetryintheboro. We also accept donations on site.
Poetry in the Boro thanks MTSU Write and the Rutherford Arts Alliance for their on-going partnerships and support.