Poems, flash fiction and short stories were given a voice at the Nov. 18 Metaphor Open Mic Night as Weber State University students and Ogden community members crowded Booked on 25th’s overflow area.
Metaphor Assistant Editor-in-Chief Nichole Kyle helped organize the event to both announce the winners of their flash fiction contest and assist people with reading their work out loud and, hopefully, submitting it to the journal itself.
Kyle wanted to provide writers an opportunity to share their work because, in her words, “We have so many great poets and fiction writers.”
Writers and poets were given a five-minute time frame to share their works, some sharing only one and others sharing more. Newcomers emerged onto the scene alongside spoken-word veterans who had attended the event before.
When a certain line within the performer’s piece resonated with audience members, the room would echo with a thumping of feet on the floor and a snapping of fingers in the air.
Angelika Brewer, a spoken-word poet and teacher for high school students, performed an untitled piece about how her father — and later she — struggled with addiction, and she apologized for not understanding the situation he faced until, “I went through it myself.”
After finding out about the event via Facebook from Booked on 25th owner Marcy Rizzi, Brewer made her way over and verbally expressed her experiences.
“Spoken-word is my outlet. … I have struggled with addiction, and I never really knew how to deal with it,” Brewer said. “It’s comforting for me to be able to write about it now and to be able to tell people and not be embarrassed by it.”
While helping Kyle host the event, Metaphor staff member Andrew Cecotti performed his flash-fiction-winning piece “Tomorrow” alongside “From Autopsy to Embryo.” Cecotti was especially excited about giving WSU creative writing students the opportunity to present their pieces, as well as helping them fulfill their degree requirements.
Although he performed in other venues in the past, this was the Cecotti’s first time at Booked. With a mixture of ecstasy and a not-quite-nervous energy, Cecotti said performing on stage feels “like I have so many things I want to say that I’m just going to explode.”
Kyle and her staff are starting to accept submissions for the interdisciplinary journal, and deadlines will be announced at the beginning of the spring semester. The staff is currently taking votes on the cover art, which will take place the first week of December.
“I’m hoping to get some amazing submission for this year’s journal,” Kyle said. “We’ve got some new things that are a twist from the traditional, and I think it’s going to be something really special and memorable.”
