On Feb. 13, Venture literary magazine hosted an open mic night to allow aspiring creative minds to share their work with the Suffolk community. The event was held in the Poetry Center in 73 Tremont and was attended by an intimate but active audience, many of whom participated in the evening’s entertainment by singing, reading their own work and sharing work by other authors.
“In terms of the turn out, we usually have more of a smaller turn out but that usually makes it feel more personal, and everyone usually knows each other which is nice,” said Jacqueline Janusis, Venture’s editor-in-chief.
To kick off the festivities, Janusis warmly welcomed the audience and shared three inspiring poems that she wrote. Janusis then opened the floor to any audience members who wished to perform.
In keeping with Janusis’ example, another Venture editorial board member, prose editor Tess Baucom, read two classical poems stemming from tales of Greek mythology. The gory poems depicted the god Apollo flaying a poor satyr named Marsyas and the Greek hero Achilles murdering a soldier named Patroclus during the Trojan War.
The final Venture e-board member who read was Jena Corea, the magazine’s social media manager. Corea shared a poem that Janusis wrote titled “Hold My Breath” and an E.E. Cummings poem called “I Carry Your Heart With Me.”
One of the evening’s most prolific creators was Gio Cassella, who read a Valentine’s Day themed poem, told a short non-fiction story and sang a romantic mixture of original songs and covers. Another of the evening’s readers, Rene Sanchez, impressed the audience with his witty humor and spot-on accents as he read three of his own short stories. Abigail Craighead concluded the event by reciting her poem “Lunar Lover,” a charming piece about the feeling of being in love.
Overall, the evening proved to be an excellent opportunity for several different types of artists to gain exposure and encouragement from fellow Suffolk students. Venture hosts open mics every month and has been able to expand their event to feature multiple creative styles.
“This year has been particularly exciting as people have decided to bring other artistic performances to the open mic, other than reading poetry,” said Janusis.
Currently, Venture’s members are gearing up for the 2020 launch party to celebrate publishing their latest edition. The event will be held during activities period on April 16 in the Stoll Room on the fourth floor of the Sawyer building.
The deadline to submit work for the 2020 edition of Venture is Feb. 26. Submissions are taken by email at [email protected]
