Kudzu reading raises the dead
November 2, 2009
The Kudzu Review, the undergraduate literary and arts magazine at Florida State University, held a student poetry reading called Night of the Living Poets on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at Club Downunder. The doors opened at 8:30 and the readings began just after 9:30 p.m.
Poets stood at the microphone under the spotlight in front of an audience of over 120 people. Many attendees came to support friends who were reading, including Darline Corchado, a senior creative writing major. She said she hoped the reading would showcase the skill of FSU’s student writers, and also encourage the involvement of other students.
“It’s going to expose talent of undergraduate students to other students considering reading,” Corchado said.
Night of the Living Poets was special because its focus was on the writing of undergraduates, who are often overlooked in favor of visiting writers or graduate students. Corchado said she loves attending the frequent readings at The Warehouse, but knows they rarely focus on undergraduate talent.
“This is our voice, our peers, our friends. We’re poets too…you’re supporting a common interest by coming here,” Corchado said.
Braydon Apple, a freshman, was just as enthusiastic about the power of undergraduate poets and poetry in general.
“Some poetry can actually open eyes to people,” Apple said. “It is a culture thing (…) this is someone’s talent, something someone worked hard for.”
Apple decided to attend Night of the Living Poets to support his friend, Noel Rodriguez, whose poetry he says will open people’s eyes.
Rodriguez, a junior creative writing major, read 10 of his poems at the event. Though he said he was a little nervous before reading, he was strengthened by the support of his friends.
Rodriquez was not just nervous for himself. He was also nervous about speaking out for his cause: gay equality. He said he hoped to reach and move people through the humor in his work.
“I use a lot of comedy in my poetry,” Rodriguez said. “Through accepting comedy– not comedy that berates us — my poetry can teach about the gay community,” he said.
No matter what the subject or purpose, Rodriguez said he is excited about increasing interest in poetry, an art form that, in his opinion, has seemed to lose speed in recent decades.
“I think poetry for a very long time time has just been very inaccessible,” Rodriguez said. “We are opening the door for a medium that easily could be lost now that everything is dumbed down with movies and television.”
Jennifer Chavis, senior English literature major and events coordinator for The Kudzu Review, said she hopes the poetry reading not only raised interest for student poets on campus, but for The Kudzu Review as a publishing and editing outlet for these writers.
“We wanted to do an event on campus that would get the word out about Kudzu,” she said.
According to Chavis, The Kudzu Review is looking into another poetry reading, an open mic night at Starsky’s and even has a possible art show on the horizon.
Whether through The Kudzu Review’s writing or art, the essence of this creativity is always emotion, something that many attendees and readers were touched by at Night of the Living Poets.
“Poetry in itself is a part of you, part of your soul you’re sharing with other peoplel,” said Apple. “That’s beautiful.”
