Speak Easy about Speakeasy

Courtney Zoffness C’00: Speakeasy Open Mic made its debut in the fall of 1997—in the basement of “Chats,” a dining commons just across Locust Walk. Our first attendees were defaults: the gal working the pizza counter, a sprinkle of students trying to study in the back, a janitor. We were shameless intruders, calling out to passersby (“What, you don’t like poetry?”), littering each table with flyers, forcing our friends to attend so as to ensure that some of the seats were filled. It was only when we relocated to the newly renovated Writers House, when we plugged into a population that not only supported us, but advocated for us, that we realized how many Pennites shared our interests. In fact, in a matter of mere months, the open mic series proved so popular that we lacked enough seats to accommodate the crowd. The Kelly Writers House established a literary community at Penn that, until then, had existed only in bursts and factions around campus and around town. I am overjoyed to know that the institution and Speakeasy are going 10 years strong.

Courtney Zoffness C’00 was a fiction fellow at Johns Hopkins University and earned an MFA from the University of Arizona. She will return to Penn this fall to teach undergraduate Creative Writing.

About Speakeasy

Speakeasy is an open mic night held at the Kelly Writers House every other Wednesday evening. It's an opportunity for writers to share their work, or the work of others, in a friendly setting. Speakeasy was founded in 1997 and continues to be an important part of the regular Writers House programming series. We welcome poets, storytellers, singers, musicians, and anything in between to share their voices with us in the Arts Cafe once a month. As always: Poetry, prose, anything goes!

Zuri Robinson

Zuri Robinson (C’22) reads during NSO Spekeasy 2017.

Speakeasy Emcees

Emcees Rachel Dennis (C’21) and Sabrina Ochoa (C’21) direct Speakeasy participants to sign-up to perform and grab some snacks, in that order!

LEE HUTTNER

Lee Huttner (C'10) hosted Speakeasy for two years. Here he's dressed as Edgar Allan Poe (note the raven on his shoulder).

Acoustic Guitar

Jed Baronia (GED’18) plays acoutic guitar at a Speakeasy in October 2017.

Welcome to KWH

New students show off their talents during NSO Speakeasy in the KWH garden.

Pierre Li Peters

Pierre Li Peters (C’23), one-man band, plays a few tunes at Speakeasy

Stand-up Comedy

KWH Program Associate and comedian Ronald Metellus tries out some new stand-up material.

Violette Carb

Violette Carb ('11) prepares hors d'oeurves for Speakeasy.

Attack of the Difficult Poems

Henry Steinberg ('13) and Jamie-Lee Josselyn sport some festive attire to kick off a year of Speakeasies.