Julie Campbell, a UCO student, is reading her story during Open Mic Monday, Monday, Jan. 30, 2012. Photo by Cyn Sheng Ling, The Vista
A short jaunt on I-44 West, a slight right onto exit 125A, a left turn on Pennsylvania Ave., and you have arrived.
Tucked cozily amidst a short strip of shops lies Beans and Leaves, a coffee shop of imaginative décor and character. Any patron strolling into the shop on Mondays around 8 p.m. will be thrown into a world crafted by the University of Central Oklahoma’s Creative Studies Writers’ Institute (CSWI).
On Monday, January 30, the CSWI met for the first time at Beans and Leaves. The group had been hosting its Open Mic Night on UCO’s campus from the fall of 2010 until this week.
“We thought this would be a more conducive environment. The classroom seems like too much of a business environment,” Allen Jenkins, CSWI president and UCO graduate student, said.
The bright orange walls of Beans and Leaves were dotted with pop art created by a local artist. The paintings depicted super heroes, 50s’ icons, and noir scenes. In the back of the shop, UCO students and community members sat in a circle awaiting the first reading. With a shuffle of chairs and a chorus of clearing throats, the event began.
“I wrote this in history class. I don’t know what got into me,” 13-year-old, Joanna introduced before she started into her first poem. Fellow writers listened intently. Joanna writes at least one poem a week.
She was three years old when she attended her first slam poetry event. “I write because it gives me a chance to hit people where it hurts. When I write it, it hits me where it hurts. So, if I scream it at them, maybe they’ll get it,” Joanna said.
Experience ranged from a passionate young poet, to a published novelist with a Masters of Fine Arts in creative writing from UCO. Each person present had a different view on why Open Mic Night is important for writers.
“Writing is very solitary,” James Dolph, UCO creative studies professor, said, ”and this gives allows us to reach out to the community. Poetry in particular is meant to be heard aloud.” Dolph is the faculty advisor to the group. He acts as MC at the open mics.
“I come just to see everyone and hear their stuff,” Julie Campbell, a creative writing graduate student, said. Campbell read a passage from an in-progress short story. Campbell utilized an experimental 2nd-person prose style.
Paula Schonauer, a graduate of the creative writing M.F.A. program and published author, finds the open mics create a sense of camaraderie amongst writers.
“I feel like I’m part of the community, and it’s also a great way for me to test new material.” Schonauer published her first novel, “Shadowboxer” under the byline Paula Sophia with Etopia Press
following her graduation. The novel is currently being sold digitally on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and will be in print later this year. Schonauer read three pieces of flash fiction at the event. Aside from fiction, Schonauer writes a column for The Gayly. Schonauer attributes her fascination with flash fiction to the constraint of a 500-word limit in her column.
Why is Beans and Leaves such a hub for expression? “I like color. I like flair. I like individualism. I like creativity. I like characters,” Gary Devanney said. Devanney owns Beans and Leaves and is an active audience member during the open mics.
Devanney, a native of Austrailia, previously worked as a project manager and spent much of his time working in countries all over the world. Devanney opened Beans and Leaves nearly four months ago.
“The whole idea behind it is to support the arts – to give a venue to the arts. We have a nice big lounge room. We have all kinds of groups here. We have a knitting group, writers, musicians, and once a month we change the artwork,” Devanney said.
“Besides all that, it’s bloody good coffee.” The shop uses primarily African beans and features an espresso bar.
CSWI’s Open Mic Night at Beans and Leaves stands as an incredibly unique experience. Once you make a short trip down the road and arrive in the cozy shop, you will be rewarded with a feast for the senses. Local artwork for the eyes, the aroma of coffee for the nose, various deserts for the taste buds, and storytelling for the ears will reward any visitor.
