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Poetry out loud
Words escape the page at Jazz Poetry Cafe.
By MICHAEL ZITZ
The Free Lance-Star
Date published: 10/17/2002
THE FREE LANCE-STAR
MARIA "LOVE" Cook has been writing poetry since she was 12.
But the 1994 Caroline County High School graduate finally found an audience for her work in February.
That was when Cook, now 26, began performing at Jazz Poetry Cafe.
The artistic venture was started by Phillip Gregory, a 37-year-old former Marine who has lived in North Stafford since 1991.
The series had a nomadic first year. It opened at the now-defunct Shark Club in February, moved to 623 Bistro in April, then to Dining on the Knoll in June.
The spoken-word open-mike series seems to have finally found a home at American and Caribbean Delights restaurant in North Stafford, where it moved in July. Poetry is offered there the first and third Saturday nights of each month.
Cook, who works for a Fredericksburg temp agency, has become a regular.
The series features regionally--and a few nationally--known poets from the Baltimore-Washington area.
The highlight was an appearance by spoken word recording artist Taalam Acey, whose work is known world-wide.
But the poetry slam's heart and soul is the work of young amateurs like Cook, who can simply show up and be heard.
"I was very nervous the first time," she said. "But it was the best experience I've had as far as being able to share my work with everybody. The first time I went up, I just knew I had to keep going up. I'm much more confident now, more relaxed."
Deandre Castro of Triangle is a member of the committee that runs Jazz Poetry Cafe. The the 25-year-old poet sometimes emcees for the event.
"I think it's an outlet for urban youth--any youth--to come and say what you have to say with no rules and regulations," she said. "It's a positive outlet for a lot of youth in the area."
Standing in front of people and reading her poems is healing, she said.
"It is my therapy," said Castro, an office manager at a Manassas graphic design company. "These are my inner feelings."
She also believes she's helping others.
"I'm almost teaching. Maybe they walk away with something more than a few rhyme patterns."
Caroline native Cook enjoys the feeling of kinship with the more experienced big city artists who are featured.
"They come to me and say 'I really liked your piece,'" she said. "I feel their energy and that inspires me."
On a recent Saturday night the crowd was small but enthusiastic. Patrons dined on Jamaican dishes, sipped beer--some even cuddled.
Date published: 10/17/2002
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