by Grace Lindquist

On November 2nd, PSC students gathered in the second story common room of the library to read their original poetry and prose while supporting fellow, student and faculty poets. The event was hosted by Professor Sara Smith, who teaches literature and is the faculty sponsor for the school’s Lit Club. 

From literature to STEM students, the audience welcomed every poet to the mic, making the environment feel safe for the new writers. First a whisper then voices of confidence filled the upstairs balcony in the library. The PSC poets offered a diverse party of experienced writers and those wishing to dabble in the art.

Sam Hardwick, who decided to share at the last minute, said, “My decision to share was more spontaneous than anything…” It was Sam’s first open mic poetry night; he had told me earlier he had not planned on sharing but eventually felt compelled to raise his hand.

Hardwick reflected, “Once I was up there, the start of the poem was okay but the last half, the part I scratched down in the last few minutes, was more difficult to read,” said Hardwick. 

Jessica Spann, a writer who had also never been to an open mic, confessed, “It was very intimidating! I’ve never spoken into a microphone before, and I’m not used to sharing my writing to an audience.” 

She later stated that the Lit Club has been “really refreshing” in that it gives students the opportunity to work on, share, and workshop their writing. 

Both Spann and Hardwick plan on attending the next open mic in the Spring semester and submitting some of their work to The Kilgore, which is a campus published magazine of student poems and prose.

I shared a poem about closure. It brought a weight off my shoulders to hear an anonymous student share a poem of the same nature. Although I did not get to speak to her directly, her words resonated with me, and a few others beautifully and I hope they felt some closure in sharing their feelings. 

By the end of the evening, students and professors alike parted knowing they had all experienced an evening of shared thoughts, feelings, and fears with a room full of not-so-strangers anymore.

The Lit club meets every Thursday at three pm, in room 466L and welcomes new creative writers. The Kilgore is open for submissions and a drop box is coming soon. If you would like to submit any poetry or prose now, email ssmith@pensacolastate.edu