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Bryan Station High School student Darionna Logan reading at the October Teen Howl installment. The author has been writing poetry since the eighth grade. PHOTO BY EMILY MOSELEY
The audience at the Morris Bookshop is giddy with excitement. Almost 80 teens perch on chairs, laughing with old friends and greeting newcomers. Silence falls over the crowd as the first poet walks to the stage, ready to kick off another night at the Teen Howl Poetry Series.
The Teen Howl Poetry Series is a live poetry group for teens that meets the first Thursday of every month at the Morris Bookshop in Chevy Chase. The typical format begins with an open mic, followed by a featured poet and then a musical act. Anyone under the age of 21 is welcome (and encouraged) to read an original piece of work.
The program was created by Elizabeth Beck and Jay McCoy to give youth in central Kentucky a chance to take part in a “real” poetry series. In November, Teen Howl will celebrate its one year anniversary.
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Teen Howl Poetry Series co-founders Jay McCoy (left) and Elizabeth Beck. PHOTO BY EMILY MOSELY
“This is our community service,” Beck said. “We do this because we care about the kids and want to provide an opportunity to experience poetry in a live setting. It feels like a classroom.”
Beck is familiar with classrooms. With 15 years teaching experience both in Cincinnati and Lexington, Beck has always tried to pique student interest in poetry.
“A lot of kids have the preconception that poetry is about rhyming or poetry is only about love or poetry is boring,” she said. To dispel these myths, Beck taught slam poetry, a form of live poetry. “I used slam poetry as a treat, like candy.”
Four years ago, Beck resigned from teaching to explore her love for poetry. She sought out a master class taught by local author Katerina Stoykova-Klemer, discovered the Holler Poet Series – a local poetry open mic for adults – and joined the Lexington writing group Poezia. Her chapbook, “Interiors,” was accepted for publication by Finishing Line Press, due to be released in 2013.
Although Beck enjoyed the passion for poetry, she missed “teaching, being with the kids.” She thought of the idea for Teen Howl while attending the Gypsy Poetry Slam in Lexington, when teens from Bryan Station high school performed at an open mic. She realized that there were few mic opportunities for teens and saw a way to give back to her community.
Beck approached McCoy, a Lexington poet and fellow member of the Poezia group, with the idea. McCoy was enthusiastic and agreed to be the co-founder of the teen series.
From there, they approached Neil Chethik, the director of the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning, with a request to work in affiliation with that organization and sought out a location through Morris Book Shop.
“I felt it was really important that we go to an independent bookstore,” McCoy said. “Morris is such a great location, being across from Morton (Middle School) and Cassidy (Elementary). The support from Morris Book Shop and the Carnegie Center has been amazing.”
Elizabeth Kilcoyne, an 18-year-old student who attended SCAPA as a creative writing major, is grateful for Teen Howl. It not only lets her share her work with “a welcoming environment and people who encourage and support one another,” it gives her experience performing live poetry. Kilcoyne enjoys reading poetry out loud as a way to better understand “the emotion and the heart of a piece.”
Darionna Logan, an 18-year-old student from Bryan Station High School, has been writing poetry since the eighth grade. When she first discovered Teen Howl, she found the freedom to express her feelings about personal issues, like bullying. The format gave her an opportunity to vent in a positive way, while building her self-confidence. It also helped her to discover a passion for poetry. “Poetry is not a hobby for me,” she said. “It’s a way of life.”
Logan plans to pursue poetry in the future and is currently working on her first book, “The Book of Lost Sheets.”
Hunter Nelson, a 16-year-old student from Lafayette, first attended Teen Howl for extra credit. What he found surprised him. “I liked poetry, but I’d forgotten the feel of it,” he said. Now he carries his writing notebook with him at all times. Even though the idea of reading poetry out loud made him nervous at first, he found the fun in joking with the audience and enjoyed the freedom of the format.
“Poetry is an emotional, strong, passionate way to communicate thoughts and feelings about any topic,” Nelson said.
Both Beck and McCoy are delighted with the passion and participation.
“We’re trying to reach as many kids as we can,” Beck said. “Teen Howl gives them an opportunity to explore writing and create an identity. Some of the kids who started coming didn’t know they were poets until they started writing and identifying with it. ... Teen Howl is the best poetry in town.”
The one-year anniversary celebration of the Teen Howl Poetry Series will take place at 6 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Morris Book Shop. The featured poet is Naphina Hagans; musical guest is Blakeley Burger. Special celebrity reading by Marvin Bartlett of WKDY, reading from his book, “The Joy Cart.”