April is National Poetry Month, established by the Academy of American poets to "widen the attention of individuals and the media to the art of poetry."
Maybe that's why "open mics" are popping up all over the Wood River Valley. It hasn't been like this since the 1990s era of the "poetry slam." Local poets and musicians are once again performing at cafés from Ketchum to Bellevue in what could be a revival of local talent showcases.
"Giving people a chance to express themselves is important for building a community around the arts," said Dr. Thomas Archie, medical director of Integrative Therapy Services at St Luke's Hospital. "Creativity is important for personal growth and for physical and emotional health. Face-to-face, real-time artistic expression encourages others to express themselves."
Archie founded Hailey Words and Music last year to provide a venue for local amateur artists to perform. He organizes performances of musicians and poets at Chester and Jake's restaurant at 7 p.m. at The Mint bar on Main Street in Hailey on the third Thursday of every month.
The Wood River Community Orchestra, directed by Andy Lewis, will perform on Thursday April 16. For more information see Haileywordsandmusic.com
Last month, poet and bike mechanic John Fox read poetry at The Mint, followed by musician Carl Barbee and other singers and musicians. Fox, a writer with deep roots in Hailey, read from a poem about Quigley Canyon.
"Poetry is like pure science. It's hard to pin a value on it," Fox said. "You get to bypass a lot of rules, like grammar and sentence structure and get to an image that resonates vividly with people."
During the 1990s Fox was one of a number of local writers organized by the late Gary Hunt to read their work at Iconoclast Books, the store he owned in Ketchum, and at readings at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts.
Gary Stivers, Jonathan Dobson, Arwin Golden and Patty Bush were others.
"There was a neat little flowering at that time, but most of those people moved away," Fox said.
Michelle Kukurin, owner of the Riverbend Coffee House on Main Street in Bellevue, has been holding musical jam sessions since she opened last year. Riverbend will hold an open mic night for women on Friday, April 17. Amy Oles will read her poetry, followed by music and song by Julie Kanton, Susan Palmer and Sylvia Greene.
Kukurin has been known to sing rhythm and blues, and an occasional opera aria, at the café.
"This is a good place for musicians to hone their skills," Kukurin said. "Some venues are all about the wine. This place is about the music. People come here to listen."
Tully's Coffee on Sun Valley Road in Ketchum will hold an open mic "singer-songwriter night" on Friday, April 17, featuring a performance by "Nashville-style" songwriter Gina Jones. Jones grew up in Buhl and signed a recording contract with Universal Records when she was 14.
"I am interested in helping unknown singer-songwriters make it in the business in the right way," she said.
For more information or to sign up for Tully's Coffee open mic, call Jones at (208) 860-1979.
"There is nothing better than sharing words and ideas in your own community," said Community School Director of Communications Tibby Plasse, who has revived poetry readings at Iconoclast Books in Ketchum in recent months.
"It's slack and there isn't a whole lot else to do, but I think people are getting back to basics and getting creative in their own right," she said.
Iconoclast will have an open mic night on Friday, April 17 at 8 p.m. For information or to sign up to read or perform, call (443) 831-3366.
"Quigley," by John Fox (excerpt)
i am not an alien presence here
i have wandered this way many times
through the sage on every
south east and west side
pine where the cold air
wraps the rippled hills
stones lichen covered
and dirt roads
and fence posts
barbed wire and no trespass-hunt-fish-foxes-coyotes
and birds that startle like defibrilators
whirring in tight formation
like one thought escaping into safe distance...
Hailey poet and bike mechanic John Fox performs at Chester and Jake’s restaurant at the Mint last month. Photo by David N. Seelig
