Listen

Last night's reading went well. Grace Kwon, overcoming her fear of reading out loud, was amazing. Her writing was precise and beautiful in a simple and endearing way. And her voice was so clear and focused that if she hadn't stated at the start of her reading how she was doing this to overcome her fears, we as an audience never would have guessed at her nervousness.

I was nervous, probably most because my parents were in the audience. I was extremely grateful to Tammy for her heartfelt introduction, and even though all the complimentary things she said were probably true, it was also intimidating to have to live up to my own reputation. I was nervous, my throat was dry, but the audience, though small, was filled with admiring ears, and I did my best to keep focus through the cafe noises of blending and the crushing of ice.

Collin gave a nice overview of what we hope will happen for the Storytelling night in December, and it's too bad that so many of our Yak supporters missed his little spiel. I'm not the one to really ask about it, being more poet-y and less story-y, but if you're interested in participating, email us or talk to Collin or Alexis.

If you're sorry you missed me, I know I will be signing up for the Open Mic Yak on October 14, and everyone who hasn't had a chance to freak out about reading their work in front of people should bring a short piece to share and take five minutes to expose themselves. It's scary and thrilling and a lot of fun. And five minutes is a lot less freaky than 15-20, I'll tell you that.