I took part in a joint venture between the WCDR, or Writer's Community of Durham Region, and The Durham Theatre Festival tonight. The gig was called Words of the Season and it was a celebration of prose, poetry, song, and community.
I've been working hard at getting over my public speaking phobia and have been putting myself out there as much as I can to help conquer my fear. This seemed like the perfect venue: lots of artsy and writerly types, an open mike, and access to alcohol—it was held at a pub. Now I didn't drink anything, but I figured the more they drank the better I would sound. ;)
So I took the plunge and got up on stage and read a prose poem. And though my knees were knocking, I focused on my breathing (yoga comes in handy for so many things) and just let the words flow through me. I managed to get through the entire poem with some good inflection in my voice and some genuine eye contact with the audience who were not, in fact, naked.
Apart from my own personal drama there were about fifteen other presenters. Poems, works of fiction and nonfiction, dedications, and songs filled the pub. Everyone who was there was engaging in their passion, and they were there to share that passion with others.
There was a lot of love in the room!
In gratitude,
Marissa
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