Open Mics | Alice Osborn

Celebrate Alice Osborn’ s New Book!

March 27, 2012 by Alice Osborn 1 Comment

My new book, After the Steaming Stops (Main Street Rag, 2012) has now been published and I’m proud to announce my listing of upcoming readings and events. My book is $10 (reg $11) throughout the month of April and available via my website.

Hope you can make some of these book events!

After the Steaming Stops here they are:

Friday, April 6, 6:30-8:30 pm, 207 Fayetteville St., Re/Max City Centre, Raleigh. Get your signed copy of Alice’s new book of poetry when you stop by this reception to enjoy wine and cheese and the amazing guitar of musician Dave Cox.
Friday, April 13, 7:30-1:30 pm, Two Trees Farm, Johnston County, Join Alice and friends at a house party. RSVP to Alice at alice@aliceosborn.com for address and directions.
Tuesday, April 17, 5:30-7:30 pm, Unwine’d Wine Bar, 201 W. Chatham St., Suite 103, Cary. Get your signed copy of Alice’s new book of poetry when you stop by Unwine’d Wine Bar in downtown Cary to enjoy wine and complimentary truffles. Unwine’d features jazz, tapas and of course, wine!
Monday, April 23, 8:00-10:00 pm, East Bay Meeting House, 160 East Bay St., Charleston, SC, as part of Monday Night Poetry & Music
Sunday, May 6, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm, NOFO @ The Pig, 2014 Fairview Rd., Raleigh, Join Alice at her signing, Bring out the whole family for NOFO’s amazing Sunday brunch. Alice’s poetry book and NOFO’s gift store make for great gifts for Mother’s Day, May 12!
Tuesday, May 8, 5:30-7:00 pm, 8450 Honeycutt Rd. – Suite 100, Raleigh, Join Alice for a free wine tasting and book signing at Vinos Finos y Picadas Wine and Tapas Bar to celebrate her new book of poetry. Vinos Finos y Picadas is a South American wine bar with over 350 wines by the glass, bottle or case.
Sunday, June 3, 2012, 3:00-4:30 pm, Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café, 55 Haywood St., Asheville, as part of POETRIO
Tuesday, September 11, 2012, 5:30-7:00 pm, Taste Full Beans, 29 Second St. NW, Hickory, as part of Poetry Hickory

Sara Claytor says, “From snakes to movie stars to childhood memories of parents, lesbian neighbors and more, Alice Osborn’s persona persistently captures a certain wonder and bewilderment of the existing child inside us all. This is a book crammed with images, explicit descriptions, characters and emotions. It needs to be read.”

and Joseph Bathanti says, “Alice Osborn’s After the Steaming Stops is a provocative family invocation—at once precisely journalistic and richly imagined. Nothing goes unnoticed. Osborn’s eye, and what it falls upon, is her enduring story, leavened with unflinching candor. These poems are wonderfully narrative, and cannily crafted, luring the reader in with their easy inviting gait. Yet beneath each tidy surface, trouble roils—trouble Osborn does not turn away from in language deceptive in its declarative set-up, and deadly in its ultimate knockout. These poems never stop steaming.”

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Writers: How Not to Bomb

July 17, 2011 by Alice Osborn 2 Comments

How Not to Bomb

When you’re nervous before a reading, open mic or a speaking event you’re that way because you don’t want to bomb. You don’t want to be humiliated and asked never to come back. You also don’t want to let your audience down. Maybe you’ve had a less-than-ideal speaking experience and you’re afraid lightning will strike twice. I’d like to share a few tips with you on how not to bomb, or at least how to bomb less! Now, let go of your nervousness and give your best performance to the people who have come to see you! Know Your Audience If you’re an author giving a reading, know your audience! Are they familiar with your work or are they completely new to it? If they are new to it, warm them up by telling them why they’ll love your work and use humor! If you’re the first speaker, you won’t have a lot of material to riff about except complimentary stuff about the venue, the hosts and the warm crowd, but if you’re performing after an open mic segment or after another speaker, talk up the folks who have gone before you and give them a little love. Doing so will endear you to your audience. I had a little issue with a speaking engagement when I realized that my talk was geared towards entrepreneurs and not corporate employees. Oh, boy! I should have asked my speaking coordinator who my audience so I could prepare. But here I was and I spoke to them about how being creative and flexible would make them more effective in their presentations—something from entrepreneur world that they may not deal with on a daily basis. Collect Stories As you go about your life, collect anecdotes that will resonate with your audience and that will help you break the tension. Just be sure that they’re relevant to you and your reading! Prepare Rehearse your talk and material ahead of time—mark your pages if you’re reading from your book so you’re not thumbing randomly! Check to see where you’re stumbling and adjust. Time your talk so you’re going over or under. Show Up Early When you show up early rather than on time you give yourself the chance to arrange the room and get a feel for the acoustics. I’ve shown up early at gigs and have rearranged the chairs to go from a classroom to a U-pattern—it’s made all of the difference! Don’t drink too much This applies more at a reading or an open mic, but don’t drink even if you think it’ll help you when it’s your turn at the mic. Drink plenty of water and when you’re all through, then have your favorite adult beverage. Your Turn OK, so those are my tips on how not to bomb. What have I missed? Please feel free to add a few more suggestions in the comments for us!

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Filed Under: Workshops, Writing · Tagged With: open mic, open mics, reading at open mics, writers

What Makes a Successful Open Mic Series?

June 13, 2011 by Alice Osborn 3 Comments

Chances are if you’re a writer you’ve been to an open mic. What was it about that open mic last night that made you want or not want to come back? Was it the people, the venue, the performances or all three? After over two years of running my own open mic series and attending scores of open mics I’ve come up with my own list of what makes for a great series. This post is both for regular open mic attendees and folks who are interested in stepping into an open mic hosting role.

Have the open mic in a fun location with good, easy parking and soft chairs. What defines fun? A coffeeshop, coffee/bar, or winebar make for excellent venues. The place should have its own vibe and energy so that the open mic itself isn’t always bringing it in. Having a place where patrons can get their own food and drink is key–it gets old having to “import” wine/beer, cheese, and chairs to an open mic event on a regular basis.
Speaking of regular, successful open mics are ones that occur the same time every month, without fail. Consistency is key. Monday Night Poetry and Music in Charleston, SC takes it a step further by having the series EVERY Monday at 7:30pm almost every Monday of the year. Folks who attend this open mic series are extremely devoted to their Monday night ritual and this makes for a series with a long and healthy future.
Participants know what to expect such as showing up on time to sign up and knowing without argument that they have only 5 minutes to speak/present. It’s also a great idea for the host to use a triangle or a chime when the time has ended (I used a timer–not the most calming sound in the world, but it got the job done). It’s not a pretty site when the host has to wrestle the mic out of their sweaty hands when their time is up. Also, the participants show up prepared with their work and are good audience members who support their fellow writers with thoughtful encouragment, buy the featured readers’ books occasionally and thank their host on Facebook.
Support from the venue owner in terms of Facebook/Twitter posts, website updates, flyers and more! This is win-win for everyone because open mics are announced all over the web and the venue owner is able to benefit from the Google love. It’s also a bonus when the venue can supply a mic stand, music stand and speakers.
Community. The best open mics I’ve ever attended are the ones where the regulars and newbies all gather afterwards for dinner, drinks and conversation.
Someone taking photos and posting them soon after the event on Facebook and then tagging the regulars. It’s a lot of work, but so worth it to build excitement and community.
Having a friendly open mic host who makes everyone feel welcome and worthy and who also isn’t afraid of protecting everyone’s time (yes, I’m talking to you who hasn’t practiced before open mic night and you keep begging for another 5 minutes).
Having a featured reader/musician who has some bank in terms of talent and publications. Usually featured readers open the evening and the open mic follows. Featured readers who have a great time tell their friends and more good talent shows up.