Blog Posts

March Open Mic - 03/28/21

3/4/2021

Ancient City Poets Salute Women Who Inspire

THEME: "National Women's History Month"

Share two or three of your polished poems or bust out some fresh ink from your notebook during Saint Augustine, Florida's longest running open mic poetry event. Invite a friend or two or three to view the livestream on FB Live to cheer you on.

A poetry reading to celebrate Women’s History Month (March) will be held on Sunday March 28th. Ruth Van Alstine will host this time around. A poetry reading to celebrate Women’s History Month (March) will be held on Sunday, March 28th. Every March since 1987, Congress and U.S. Presidents have designated the month as Women's History Month. This year, we are celebrating the accomplishments and vital contributions of women in history with original poems that center on women's experiences in history.

All are invited to share poems or short pieces about “Women Who Inspire”, or just soak in the Saint Augustine poetry scene.

At 3:00 pm EST on Sunday, March 28th, the FB Live feed of this reading will appear on the following link:

https://www.facebook.com/ancientcitypoets

Ancient City Poets have been gathering for free open mic poetry readings on the last Sunday of each month, since August of 2009. A sign-up sheet will be available at 2:30 and the open mic will start at 3:00 pm.

If you would like to share a poem, you can contact the group in advance, through the "Contact Us" section of the official website. The day before this event, you will receive an email from Ancient City Poets with the Zoom Meeting ID and any Passcode that might be needed. We have space on the list for 15 poets at 5 minutes each. Readers will be called to the virtual podium in the order their names appear on the list.

DONATIONS TO SUPPORT LOCAL POETRY
Please support Poet Plant Press and Ancient City Poets. Buy them a coffee, or two, or ten. Any ammount of coffee money donated here goes towards poetry projects such as open mic events and published print books. Thank you Kimmy Van Kooten, our February 2021 sponsor, for the ten coffees.

DONATE HERE:
https://www.buymeacoffee.com/poetplantpress/c/1107032

ANCIENT CITY POETS ON YOUTUBE
Two years ago, for National Poetry Month, Ancient City Poets launched a YouTube Channel to preserve our past. We always encourage video students and volunteers with cameras to help us document the Saint Augustine poetry scene.

Subscribe to our channel so you can get notified whenever new footage is added. Zoom is amazing. You can record the meetings, so we have been getting great recordings on our online event. It is a game changer. Here is the recording of the of Jarad Morningstar zooming in from Mount Pleasant, Michigan for the January 2021 open mic.

February Online Open Mic - 02/28/21

2/23/2021

Ancient City Poet Christy Sheffield Sanford

THEME: "The Good, The Bed, and The Ugly"

Share two or three of your polished poems or bust out some fresh ink from your notebook during Saint Augustine, Florida's longest running open mic poetry event. Invite a friend or two or three to view the livestream on FB Live to cheer you on.

Since Valentine's Day falls in the middle of the calendar, February is known as a month to celebrate love. The truth is, relationships are a rollercoaster, filled with good times, and bad times. Pop music lyrics tell us many different messages: Love is a battlefield, love is the drug, love is like oxygen, and love stinks. In your opinion, what is love, anyway? The writing prompt is just a suggestion, and you are free to follow it or not. What is important , is that we get to know you and your creative words.

At 3:00 pm EST on Sunday, January 31st, the FB Live feed for this reading will appear on the following site:

https://www.facebook.com/ancientcitypoets

We have been gathering for free open mic poetry readings on the last Sunday of each month, since August of 2009. A sign-up sheet will be available at 2:30 and the open mic will start at 3:00 pm.

If you would like to share a poem, please let us know through the "Contact US" section of our website. We will email you the Zoom Meeting ID and any Passcode that might be needed. We have space on the list for 15 poets at 5 minutes each. Readers will be called to the virtual podium in the order their names appear on the list.

ANCIENT CITY POETS ON YOUTUBE
Two years ago, for National Poetry Month, we launched a YouTube Channel to preserve our past. We always encourage video students and volunteers with cameras to help us document the Saint Augustine poetry scene.

Subscribe to our channel so you can get notified whenever new footage is added. Zoom is amazing. You can record the meetings, so we have been getting great recordings on our online event. It is a game changer. Here is footage of PAM Jam Coordinator Loretta Leto at the Corazon Cinema and Cafe (RIP), reading her tribute poem to the Ancient City Poets at their ten year anniversary reading. Loretta will co host the February reading with Christy Sheffield Sanford.

January Online Open Mic - 01/31/2021

12/30/2020

Ancient City Poet - Kimmy Van Kooten

THEME: "Brand New World"

Share two or three of your polished poems or bust out some fresh ink from your notebook during Saint Augustine, Florida's longest running open mic poetry event. Invite a friend or two or three to view the livestream on FB Live to cheer you on.

The new year is now here and you are invited to write words to that theme. Maybe you would like to compose a break-up letter to 2020 or an eviction letter to that bastard of a year. The writing prompt is just a suggestion, and you are free to follow it or not. What is important , is that we get to know you and your creative words.

At 3:00 pm EST on Sunday, January 31st, the FB Live feed for this reading will appear on the following site:

https://www.facebook.com/ancientcitypoets

We have been gathering for free open mic poetry readings on the last Sunday of each month, since August of 2009. A sign-up sheet will be available at 2:30 and the open mic will start at 3:00 pm.

If you would like to share a poem, please let us know through the "Contact US" section of our website. We will email you the Zoom Meeting ID and any Passcode that might be needed. We have space on the list for 15 poets at 5 minutes each. Readers will be called to the virtual podium in the order their names appear on the list.

SUPPORT OUR READING VENUE
As soon as social distancing is a memory, we will return to the Corazon, located at 36 Granada Street in Saint Augustine, Florida. The Corazon is open most evenings. All staff members wear masks. We do ask that you patronize them and thank them for opening their doors to poetry and spoken word and performance art.

Here is the menu:
PLEASE CALL THEM BEFORE YOU GO TO CONFIRM THEIR HOURS
http://www.corazoncinemaandcafe.com/menu.html

ANCIENT CITY POETS ON YOUTUBE
Two years ago, for National Poetry Month, we launched a YouTube Channel to preserve our past. We always encourage video students and volunteers with cameras to help us document the Saint Augustine poetry scene.

Subscribe to our channel so you can get notified whenever new footage is added. Zoom is amazing in that you can record, so we have been getting great recordings on our online event. It is a game changer. Here is the September featuring St. Augustine's official contribution to "100 Thousand Poets for Change."

December Online Open Mic - 12/27/2020

12/12/2020

November Poets in the Zoom Room

THEME: "Poetic Gifts"

Step up to the mic and share two or three of your polished poems or bust out some fresh ink from your notebook. Invite a friend or two or three to view the livestream on FB Live to cheer you on. In observation of the holiday season, please share words about this time of the year. Maybe you would like to compose a break-up letter to 2020. How about a poem the shouts about the joy of this year, amongst all the heartache and misfortune that the pandemic brought. Bottom line, 12 months ago no one could have possibly dreamed what the new year was going to bring us. We should definitely throw away our 2021 prediction lists. This year is proof that we can not accurately predict anything. Reflect, yes. Predict, no.

At 3:00 pm EST on Sunday, Dec 27th, the FB Live feed for this reading will appear on the following site:
https://www.facebook.com/ancientcitypoets

We have been gathering for free open mic poetry reading since August of 2009.
A sign-up sheet will be available at 2:30 and the open mic will start at 3:00 pm.

If you would like to share a poem, please let us know through our website. We will email you the Zoom Meeting ID and any Passcode that might be needed. We have space on the list for 15 poets at 5 minutes each. Readers will be called to the virtual podium in the order their names appear on the list.

SUPPORT OUR READING VENUE
As soon as social distancing is a memory, we will return to the Corazon, located at 36 Granada Street in Saint Augustine, Florida. The Corazon is open most evenings. All staff members wear masks. We do ask that you patronize them and thank them for opening their doors to poetry and spoken word and performance art.

Here is the menu:
PLEASE CALL THEM BEFORE YOU GO TO CONFIRM THEIR HOURS
http://www.corazoncinemaandcafe.com/menu.html

ANCIENT CITY POETS ON YOUTUBE
Two years ago, for National Poetry Month, we launched a YouTube Channel to preserve our past. We always encourage video students and volunteers with cameras to help us document the Saint Augustine poetry scene.

Subscribe to our channel so you can get notified whenever new footage is added. Enjoy this video from back in the day when poets gathered in the flesh, and hugged, and saliva droplets bounced off the microphone, and life was grand.

November Online Open Mic - 11/29/2020

11/1/2020

THEME: "Poetic Gratitude"

Give us two or three of your polished poems or share fresh ink from your notebook. Invite a friend or two or three to view the livestream on FB Live to cheer you on.

The FB Live feed will appear on the following site:
https://www.facebook.com/ancientcitypoets

We have been gathering for free open mic poetry reading since August of 2009.
A sign-up sheet will be available at 2:30 and the open mic will start at 3:00 pm.

If you would like to share a poem, please send an email to the email address in the "Contact Us" tab on this site. We will email you the Meeting ID and any Passcode that might be needed. We have room on the list for 15 poets at 5 minutes each. Readers will be called to the virtual podium in the order their names appear on the list.

SUPPORT OUR READING VENUE
As soon as social distancing is a memory, we will return to the Corazon, located at 36 Granada Street in Saint Augustine, Florida. The Corazon is open most evenings. All staff members wear masks. We do ask that you patronize them and thank them for opening their doors to poetry and spoken word and performance art.

Here is the menu:
PLEASE CALL THEM BEFORE YOU GO TO CONFIRM THEIR HOURS
http://www.corazoncinemaandcafe.com/menu.html

ANCIENT CITY POETS ON YOUTUBE
Two years ago, for National Poetry Month, we launched a YouTube Channel to preserve our past. We always encourage video students and volunteers with cameras to help us document the Saint Augustine poetry scene.

Subscribe to our channel so you can get notified whenever new footage is added.

PAM JAM UPDATE
Back in August of last year, The Butterfield and the Ancient City Poets partnered to form a project named PAM Jam – Poets, Artists, and Musicians Spreading Joy. The inspiration was a project that featured 9 poets collaborating with one artist: Anna Miller. The show was called “Refractions”, and it was on display from January 15 to March 15, 2019, at the St. Johns County Administrative Building Rotunda.

This year, fine artists from the Butterfield Gallery were paired with a poet partner from Ancient City Poets. The deadline for the finished poem and artwork from each paired collaboration team was April 1st of this year – right in the middle of the coronavirus outbreak. PAM Jam became the perfect pandemic project. In isolation, writers and artists got to know each other through emails, text messages, zoom meetings, and late-night phone calls. Writers and artists bonded together, built new relationships with each other, and learned to ride out the new normal. When the poems and paintings were completed, musicians were brought in to add another layer to the collaboration process.

Go see the show that is up during the entire month of November at the Butterfield Garage Gallery.

October Online Open Mic - Sun Oct 25, 2020

10/10/2020

THEME: "PAM Jam Preview"
Special PAM JAM Preview during the October Ancient City Poets open mic reading.

The 18 poets of PAM Jam 2020 have all been invited to will read the poems that they wrote from being paired with an artist from the Butterfield Gallery. Fine art created during the poet/artist collaboration will also be worked into this presentation.

WHAT IS A PAM JAM?

Back in August of last year, The Butterfield and the Ancient City Poets partnered to form a project named PAM Jam – Poets, Artists, and Musicians Spreading Joy. The inspiration was a project that featured 9 poets collaborating with one artist: Anna Miller. The show was called “Refractions”, and it was on display from January 15 to March 15, 2019, at the St. Johns County Administrative Building Rotunda.

This year, 18 fine artists from the Butterfield Gallery were paired with a poet partner from Ancient City Poets. The deadline for the finished poem and artwork from each paired collaboration team was April 1st of this year – right in the middle of the coronavirus outbreak. PAM Jam became the perfect pandemic project. In isolation, writers and artists got to know each other through emails, text messages, zoom meetings, and late-night phone calls. Writers and artists bonded together, built new relationships with each other, and learned to ride out the new normal. When the poems and paintings were completed, musicians were brought in to add another layer to the collaboration process.

On October 25th, the Ancient City Poets will hold a poetry reading at 3:00 pm EST online through zoom featuring the 18 poets and their poems from the inaugural PAM Jam. The event will be streamed through FB Live to the group’s Facebook page :

https://www.facebook.com/ancientcitypoets

Check out the official website all the info and for ways to donate to a fund for musicians and professional artists displaced from work due to the world-wide coronavirus pandemic.

https://pam-jam.com/

SUPPORT OUR READING VENUE
As soon as social distancing is a memory, we will return to the Corazon, located at 36 Granada Street in Saint Augustine, Florida. The Corazon is open most evenings. We do ask that you patronize them and thank them for opening their doors to poetry and spoken word and performance art.

Here is the menu:
PLEASE CALL THEM BEFORE YOU GO TO CONFIRM THEIR HOURS
http://www.corazoncinemaandcafe.com/menu.html

ANCIENT CITY POETS ON YOUTUBE
Two years ago, for National Poetry Month, we launched a YouTube Channel to preserve our past. We always encourage video students and volunteers with cameras to help us document the Saint Augustine poetry scene.

Subscribe to our channel so you can get notified whenever new footage is added. Here is the document of the 100 Thousand Poets for Change reading, recorded on September 27, 2020.

Learn more about One Hundred Thousand Poets for Change, please go to their official web site:
https://100tpc.org/

September Online Open Mic - Sunday 09/27/2020

9/1/2020

Image by Jeremy Jusay for St. Augsustine, FL - 100TPC

THEME: "100 Thousand Poets for Change - St. Augustine" Sunday, September 27, 2020

The Ancient City Poets will host a community open mic reading on line through the zoom meeting platform. This will be one of more than 500 readings held globally during the month of September.

The zoom meeting ID number and any password or code that you might need will be listed in the description section of the Facebook event page. Here is the link:

https://www.facebook.com/events/299119947809428/

If you don't do Facebook, then send us an email from the "contact" section of this web page and the sign on info will be emailed to you.

We have been gathering on the last Sunday of every month for free open mic poetry reading since August of 2009. This will be our 7th gathering on Zoom due to Covid-19.

A sign-up sheet will be available at 2:30 and the open mic will start at 3:00 pm. At that time the facilitator will ask everyone who is logged on if they would like to be on the reading list. Readers will be called to the “podium” in the order their names appear on the list. The first 15 readers will be guaranteed a spot at the mic.

During this time of social distancing, the North Florida poetry community has moved to an online platform to share their written words. Last month we spotlighted Shutta Crum from Ann Arbor. The June reading featured a visit from Mid-West poet John Dorsey. July was an explosive reading with featured poet Dan Denton, from Toledo, Ohio.

SUPPORT OUR READING VENUE
As soon as social distancing is a memory, we will return to the Corazon, located at 36 Granada St in Saint Augustine, Florida. The Corazon is open most evenings. We do ask that you patronize them and thank them for opening their doors to poetry and spoken word and performance art.

Here is the menu:
PLEASE CALL THEM BEFORE YOU GO TO CONFIRM THEIR HOURS
http://www.corazoncinemaandcafe.com/menu.html

ANCIENT CITY POETS ON YOUTUBE
Two years ago, for National Poetry Month, we launched a YouTube Channel to preserve our past. We always encourage video students and volunteers with cameras to help us document the Saint Augustine poetry scene.

Subscribe to our channel so you can get notified whenever new footage is added. Here is an amazing performance by Kimmy Van Kooten shot in Dan Bagan's Saint Augustine, Florida studios. Learn more about his work by going to his web site:
https://www.bagan-live.com/

August Online Open Mic - Sun 08/30/2020

8/8/2020

The July Zoom Room

THEME: "This is Eleven" Sunday, August 30, 2020

The Ancient City Poets will host a community open mic reading on line through the zoom meeting platform. Let's "Turn it up to Eleven" and have a rockin' good time because we are celebrating 11 years.

Give us two or three of your polished poems or share fresh ink from your notebook. We are all getting antsy and we can't wait to meet again in public to hug, fellowship, and applaud each other's written words. We have been gathering for free open mic poetry reading since August of 2009.

The zoom meeting ID number and any password or code that you might need is listed in the description of the Facebook event page. Here is the link:

https://www.facebook.com/events/611217829582843/

If you don't do Facebook, then send us an email from the "contact" section of this webpage and it will be emailed to you.

We have been gathering on the last Sunday of every month for free open mic poetry reading since August of 2009. This will be our 6th gathering on Zoom due to Covid-19.

A sign-up sheet will be available at 2:30 and the open mic will start at 3:00 pm. At that time the facilitator will ask everyone who is logged on if they would like to be on the reading list. Readers will be called to the “podium” in the order their names appear on the list. The first 15 readers will be guaranteed a spot at the mic.

During this time of social distancing, the North Florida poetry community has moved to an online platform to share their written words. The June reading featured a visit from Mid-West poet John Dorsey. July featured Dan Denton, from Toledo, Ohio. Our August one will feature Shutta Crum from Michigan.

SUPPORT OUR READING VENUE
As soon as social distancing is a memory, we will return to the Corazon, located at 36 Granada St in Saint Augustine, Florida. The Corazon is open most evenings. We do ask that you patronize them and thank them for opening their doors to poetry and spoken word and performance art.

Here is the menu:

http://www.corazoncinemaandcafe.com/menu.html

ANCIENT CITY POETS ON YOUTUBE
Two years ago, for National Poetry Month, we launched a YouTube Channel to preserve our past. We always encourage video students and volunteers with cameras to help us document the Saint Augustine poetry scene.

Subscribe to our channel so you can get notified whenever new footage is added. Here is the recording of our July 2020 open mic featuring guest Dan Denton from Toledo, Ohio. Doing our readings through zoom might suck, but at least we get a good document of each reading and what words gets read.

Virtual Open Mic - Sun Jul 26

7/19/2020

The June Zoom Room

THEME: "Summer Daze" Sunday, July 26, 2020

The Ancient City Poets will host a community open mic reading on line through the zoom meeting platform. Forget about the doom and gloom,and join us in the zoom room.

Give us two or three of your polished poems or share fresh ink from your notebook. We are all getting antsy and we can't wait to meet again in public to hug, fellowship, and applaud each other's written words. We have been gathering for free open mic poetry reading since August of 2009.

The zoom meeting ID number is listed in the description of the Facebook event page. Here is the link:

https://www.facebook.com/events/330496205015754/

If you don't do Facebook, then send us an email from the "contact" section of this webpage and it will be emailed to you.

A sign-up sheet will be available at 2:30 and the open mic will start at 3:00 pm. At that time the facilitator will ask everyone who is logged on if they would like to be on the reading list. Readers will be called to the “podium” in the order their names appear on the list. The first 15 readers will be guaranteed a spot at the mic.

During this time of social distancing, the North Florida poetry community has moved to an online platform to share their written words. The June reading featured a visit from Mid-West poet John Dorsey.

SUPPORT OUR READING VENUE
As soon as social distancing is a memory, we will return to the Corazon, located at 36 Granada St in Saint Augustine, Florida. The Corazon is open most evenings. We do ask that you patronize them and thank them for opening their doors to poetry and spoken word and performance art.

Here is the menu:

http://www.corazoncinemaandcafe.com/menu.html

ANCIENT CITY POETS ON YOUTUBE
Two years ago, for National Poetry Month, we launched a YouTube Channel to preserve our past. We always encourage video students and volunteers with cameras to help us document the Saint Augustine poetry scene.

Subscribe to our channel so you can get notified whenever new footage is added. Check out this vintage video clip shot featuring Chris Bodor from 1999. Two years before the Twin Towers fell. One month before Y2K. This footage is truly a time capsule treasure. The clip appears on a YouTube Channel that Chris Bodor also maintains. The channel is something that you should support and subscribe to if you are interested in words and footage of Saint Augustine, Florida poet Chris Bodor. The channel also features old video projects and clips produced by the poet.

Virtual Open Mic - Sun Jun 28, 2020

6/25/2020

Poetry Zoom

THEME: "Free For All" Sunday, June 28, 2020

The Ancient City Poets will host a community open mic reading on line through the infamous zoom meeting platform.

Once in a while we call a free-for-all and hold a reading with no theme. Give us two or three of your polished poems or share fresh ink from your notebook.

We will also be honoring the four year anniversary of our start date at the Corazon Cinema and Cafe. Our first reading was held at the Corazon in June of 2016. We moved from City Bistro, and before that we were at a restaurant called the Gallery Cafe, before that we were at a recovery gift shop on West King Street know as Gifts For Living. We have been gathering for free open mic poetry reading since August of 2009.

The zoom meeting ID number and any passwords that might be needs will be posted on the Facebook event page. Here is the link:

https://www.facebook.com/events/911556649257603/

A sign-up sheet will be available at 2:30 and the open mic will start at 3:00 pm. At that time the facilitator will ask everyone who is logged on if they would like to be on the reading list. Readers will be called to the “podium” in the order their names appear on the list. The first 15 readers will be guaranteed a spot at the mic.

During this time of social distancing, the North Florida poetry community has moved to an online platform to share their written words. The April zoom meeting gathering was a salute to National Poetry Month and it attracted readers from South Florida, Jacksonville, and St. Augustine. The May reading was a powerful affirmation that black lives matter, as tensions began to rise in downtown St. Augustine, and all over the world.

SUPPORT OUR READING VENUE
As soon as social distancing is a memory, we will return to the Corazon, located at 36 Granada St in Saint Augustine, Florida. The Corazon is open most evenings. We do ask that you patronize them and thank them for opening their doors to poetry and spoken word and performance art.

Here is the menu:

http://www.corazoncinemaandcafe.com/menu.html

ANCIENT CITY POETS ON YOUTUBE
Two years ago, for National Poetry Month, we launched a YouTube Channel to preserve our past. We always encourage video students and volunteers with cameras to help us document the Saint Augustine poetry scene.

Subscribe to our channel so you can get notified whenever new footage is added. Check out this clip shot by Chris Bodor on a tripod in the bell tower of historic Trinity Parish in St. Augustine, Florida. The parish was founded in June of 1821 and they are gearing up to celebrate their bicentennial with a series of events and observations during all of 2021. In this clip, Bodor talks about a pandemic project known as PAM Jam (Poets, Artists, and Musicians Spreading Joy). He is one of 18 participating poets. His poem, "Present Moment Bliss", is featured in the clip.

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