Poetic Séance Takes Place On Campus

Open Mic Review

Anyone who is remotely interested in literature has heard the various attacks against poetry. Things like, 'it is a lost art,' 'no one cares,' 'why don't poets say what they mean' and 'poetry is dead.'

In a 2003 article in Newsweek, journalist Bruce Wexler made a point about the perceived death of poetry.

"It is difficult to imagine a world without movies, plays, novels and music, but a world without poems does not have to be imagined," Wexler said.

If poetry truly is dead, then FC's first open mic event was a séance.

Thursday night, the student center filled to near-maximum capacity as current and former students, as well as faculty, gathered for a celebration of the poetic.

From the start, when student Brian Van Ryte took the stage and read two excellently crafted poems, "Big Sir," and "Wasted Time," the event was a huge success.

From there, the proceedings only got better, as diversity clearly became the theme of the night. No two performers were the same.

One woman read an excerpt from a novella about the time she spent with her Islamic ex-husband.

Another woman dedicated a poem to her father who had passed away. One person screened videos of his time in Iraq, and one FC student performed an ambitious poem about abortion.

Not all of the material was poetry, but it was all poetic.

The culmination of the event came midway through the show when featured poet, Eric Morago, took the stage.

He did not disappoint. With the exception of a minor hiccup during one of his poems (in which he forgot what to say) Morago captivated the crowd with his edgy, rhythmic rhetoric.

His second to last poem, "This is Not a Love Poem," left everyone who has ever had a bad relationship nodding furiously in agreement.

Once Morago stepped away from the microphone, the students took the spotlight again.

The event ended on a perfect note, when the final performer read a farcical poem entitled, "Extra Credit."

The students performed for the entire two hours that were scheduled, and then some. To critics like Wexler, if poetry is dead, then Fullerton College is a resting place for it's ghosts.

However, this event was proof that poetry is not dead; it had only been sleeping for a while.

Here's to the rebirth of poetry, and to the hope his poetic renaissance continues, so more students will be able to enjoy it.