
Originally, January was going to be a holiday month, to give the organizer a mid-year time off, but instead we've decided to test out an open-mic-only evening. It will still amount to an organizing holiday: There won't be a musician, or photos taken that then have to be posted, or videos shot that then have to be posted, or summaries that need to be written and posted, etc etc. Only this announcement. And maybe an email.
It won't be totally without form or structure. There will be a host. And there will be a sign-up sheet for open mic readers, of which we'll take more than usual. There will be a donation jar, the use of which earns a raffle ticket, as per usual. And there'll be an audience. And my God of course there'll be lots of wine and Greek food.
This would be a good occasion for our former and future featured poets to lay out some good lines, since there won't be any single individual featured. There will be lots of time for them and everyone else.
Come in early to sign up. If you're in the first twenty you will likely get to read before 9:00. However, Mykonos stays open till 11:00 and we'll keep going until everyone who wants to read has. Or they kick us out. The reason to sign up in the first 20 is that after that the audience may begin to shrink. It may. It has happened that people have become more excited with time, not less. That could very well happen this time. At any rate, it's going to be different.
THE EVENT
WHERE: The Mykonos Restaurant at 572 Adelaide St. North, London, Ontario. The restaurant has a large, covered terrace just behind the main restaurant, which comfortably holds 60 poetry lovers. Mediterranean food and drinks are available. Overflow parking is available across the side street and in the large lot one block north, in front of Trad’s Furniture.
WHEN: Wed. Jan. 7th, 2015.
MUSIC: We are quietening down our music to allow for easier conversation than was possible in the past. Consequently, we will have live accompanying music from 6:30 to 7:00, or, if we can't get the right musician, piped-in restaurant music.
THE FEATURED POET: No featured poet this time.
OPEN MIC: At least 20 open mic poets will read during the two hours from 7:00 to 9:00. Each poet has five minutes: That's about one long poem and two short ones. (Reading for too long tends to be frowned upon by the audience.) Sign up on the reader`s list, which is on the book table at the back. It's first come, first served. We will continue reading till closing time at 11:00 after a final break at 9:00, if we have enough readers, but those reading after 9:00 should expect the crowd to be seriously thinned out by then.
RAFFLE PRIZES: Anyone who donates to London Open Mic Poetry Night receives a ticket for a raffle prize, three of which will be picked after the intermission. The prizes consist of poetry books donated by Brick Books and The Ontario Poetry Society. Donations are our only source of income. We still haven't paid off our initial debt!