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emchyOutsiderWriters just published an interview with me all about the Queer Open Mic!!!
Check it out
http://www.outsiderwriters.org/content/view/619/1/
Check it out
http://www.outsiderwriters.org/content/view/619/1/
Pat King: Hi, how are you? Thanks a lot for this interview. I'd like to start out by asking you to give our readers a little background about your Queer Open Mic reading series. What inspired you to start a new reading series? How did it come together?
Cindy Emch: Queer Open Mic came about through a combination of timing and luck really. I had recently rededicated my life to writing and was going to all of the readings in San Francisco that I could get my hands on. I had lived in SF for almost ten years but hadn't really put myself out there in the writing community. Sure I read all of the local writers but wasn't really inserting myself into that world. While I was exploring I quickly found a lot of places and readings that were super cool and had great readers but none were the perfect fit for me personally in terms of location, timing and crowd. Out of the blue the owners of the cafe that I went to everyday asked me if I would like to curate an open mic for them. They were a pretty new cafe and were really excited about doing arts events. They were really centrally located and offered me the cafe twice a month on Friday nights to try and get something started. I got really excited about the idea of creating this space for performances that would bring together folks from all parts of the queer community. Folks of color, gender queers, gay men and lesbians, youth and elders, I really wanted to make this radical space where all kinds of performers would be welcome and feel at home and envigorated. So I wrote up some press releases, lined up some features that had bigger than life personalities and reputations and just started the event.
CONTINUED.......
PK: Are all the features local or do you have touring poets come through and read? Who have been some standout features?
CE: We have both touring and local poets. I love that we happen twice a month so usually if a touring writer gets in touch with me I can make it work to showcase them. However San Francisco and Oakland have so much talent that's local - I am lucky enough to have many folks to choose from. My biggest standout feature has to be when the Musical Zine Show toured through. It was Hazel Pine and Neely Bat reading and Yankee Sheila playing music (the accordion and musical saw) and it was just magical and completely unexpected. A friend of theirs who had featured a few months prior got in touch with me a couple of days before the show and asked if I had room for them. It was the best happy accident ever. Another just fun feature was Ali Liebegott. We were performing together at a show and I invited her to feature. She not only made one - but four new chapbooks just for the QOM reading. It was so over and above. Plus her reading itself was the sort of thing that quietly shakes you to your core. Poets who combine their words with music always shake me up a bit too - recently we had Jess Wilber and Ryka Aoki de la Cruz do that on accordion and guitar respectively and it just felt sacred. Other folks who have just blown me away and been amazing were Lauren Wheeler, Marvin White, Daphne Gottlieb, Frances Varian, Meliza Bañales, D Blair, Michelle Tea. It's hard because I book people whose work I just adore - so when you ask me which features stood out I want to send you the list of all of the performers because I really just respect and admire everyone so much. It's incredibly hard to lnot mention everyone.
PK: Wow! I had no idea that Jessica Wilber (I'm assuming we're talking about the same person, out of Wisconsin......don't know many other people by the same name who also play accordian!) read in SF. I wish I would have been there to see that! So you've got a very diverse group of features coming through. Are most nights as diverse in the open mic portion too? Have there been any "discoveries" in the open mic portion of the series that maybe you've worked with later or picked out to feature?
CE: Yes! The very same J. Wilber :). She is simply amazing. There is usually a good amount of diversity in the crowd and on the open mic list. I mean of course it varies. You would think it varies based on the features and that's true a bit, but I haven't quite figured out the magic of what gets who in the audience. We've had some nights were every person on the open mic list was a person of color. Some nights where there were tons of youth, that was cool, they asked me if I could adjust the order of the list so they could read and make curfew. One night we had like four folks read who were probably in their late 60's and they were all mixed in with our usual pervert crew. Everyone had a great time. The gender mix is usually pretty even too. I did a lot of work when I started the event to make sure I was posting in places where a wide variety of folks would see the postings. I didn't want this to become one of those "only one kind of person" readings. I think that we as humans really limit ourselves when we only engage with people who come from our own class and cultural background. It's such a gorgeously weird and interesting world out there and everyone has stories. I really wanted to make this event the sort of place where anyone could come and tell those stories and connect around them. I have definitely met some folks through the open mic list that just knocked my socks off. Sometimes it was readers who already had a reputation and I just didn't know their work yet - and sometimes it was folks who were totally new to the scene in SF. I met Frances Varian that way actually. She was moving to SF from Seattle and was a friend of a friend, but really I had no idea who she was. I heard her read and was just all DAMN. So powerful and amazing and now one of my favorite poets anywhere. She had a pretty thick resume of performing under her belt before I heard her - but definitely a gift that the open mic gave me. Another person who I hadn't heard before who was new to the scene was Luna Maia. She came up and read this short quiet and super intense poem and I was really impressed. She became a regular working out her reading style and getting her performance down and a while later she was a feature.
PK: I'd like to hear a little bit about your writing. Do you write when the mood/inspiration hits or do you have a strict work habit? What is your favorite time of day to write?
CE: I tend to write when inspiration hits. I have a daily blog habit - but in terms of what I consider my writing with a capital W I write when it comes. Most often it comes when I am in motion. Driving, on the train, walking, being in motion really fuels my muse. Recently I went on a writing retreat at a Motel 6 with another poet pal of mine. We couldn't afford some big fancy retreat so we decided to meet in between our homes (SF & LA) at a cheap motel and see what we could get done. It was amazing. I walked into the motel with a laptop and the hope that I would get a few pieces that had been awaiting revision polished up. I left two days later with a new chapbook manuscript ready to go. And I was so excited about it, that as soon as I got home I went on one of those self publishing websites and made the book. It was one of the best writing experiences I have ever had. We're now planning to do them three or four times a year.
PK: What has your experience with self-publishing been like? Do you see yourself doing the same thing with a full-length book?
CE: I love self publishing as a way to see my work as a concrete object in the world. To hold a book in your hands - there is no better feeling for me. But self publishing is not really sustainable long term if your goals are bigger than your local writing scene.
I have lost money on every chapbook I have ever created - even the ones that have sold out of their printings. To make a book that looks decent just costs some money. And if you charge enough to break even, it is often too high of a cost for folks who are coming to a reading and have already pitched in a cover charge and money for drinks. So in the long run - I would love to have a publisher. They also have the connections and the distribution and the staff to make sure the book is seen by more than your local poetry scene. I think that is as big of a thing as the printing itself.
PK: What do you see in the future for small press publishing? Do we need larger or even mainstream publishers to get our writing out on any large scale or is there a way for small press publishers to come together and reach new audiences on their own?
CE: I love small presses. I can't say that enough. LOVE small presses. I think that they can be super effective in getting work out into the world and paying enough attention to the author that the best books are made. If small presses are able to work with larger distributors it can definitely help with getting the work in stores like Borders. But really - and especially with poetry - there are small presses like Soft Skull and Fence Books where I will consider buying a book just because they published it. Because I feel connected to their vision. That doesn't happen so much with larger presses.
PK: Do you think there will be a time in the future when American society is open and accepting enough that there will be no more need for queer open mics? Would it even be desirable?
CE: I think that we'll reach a point - and already have in some urban areas where queers are as welcome on a peformance bill as anyone else. However I think that there is a way that people find support and community in an identity specific open mic that will keep queer focused open mics around. It's comfortable - like finding a slightly more comfortable place in the world to try out your chops especially if you're new. I know that recently when I went to New York there were tons of readings. I wasn't sure where to start so I started with poetry specifically. I found a safer space that way. A way to connect in and feel like I could be a part of that community. It was easier because it was about part of who I am. It would've still been possible at an open mic with fiction and comedians and music - but since I went somewhere specific to me there was that connection. That's the role I think open mics serve. To give people a launching pad that's more comfortable, where they can take more risks and really learn how to perform and bring it. And too - there is nothing like reading to a room where the folks have some shared experiences. You can ask any identity specific group. When you're in a room of your own people - the audience just GETS it more. That's an amazing feeling.
PK: Thanks a lot for this interview.
CE: Awesome - this was totally fun.
Cindy Emch: Queer Open Mic came about through a combination of timing and luck really. I had recently rededicated my life to writing and was going to all of the readings in San Francisco that I could get my hands on. I had lived in SF for almost ten years but hadn't really put myself out there in the writing community. Sure I read all of the local writers but wasn't really inserting myself into that world. While I was exploring I quickly found a lot of places and readings that were super cool and had great readers but none were the perfect fit for me personally in terms of location, timing and crowd. Out of the blue the owners of the cafe that I went to everyday asked me if I would like to curate an open mic for them. They were a pretty new cafe and were really excited about doing arts events. They were really centrally located and offered me the cafe twice a month on Friday nights to try and get something started. I got really excited about the idea of creating this space for performances that would bring together folks from all parts of the queer community. Folks of color, gender queers, gay men and lesbians, youth and elders, I really wanted to make this radical space where all kinds of performers would be welcome and feel at home and envigorated. So I wrote up some press releases, lined up some features that had bigger than life personalities and reputations and just started the event.
CONTINUED.......
PK: Are all the features local or do you have touring poets come through and read? Who have been some standout features?
CE: We have both touring and local poets. I love that we happen twice a month so usually if a touring writer gets in touch with me I can make it work to showcase them. However San Francisco and Oakland have so much talent that's local - I am lucky enough to have many folks to choose from. My biggest standout feature has to be when the Musical Zine Show toured through. It was Hazel Pine and Neely Bat reading and Yankee Sheila playing music (the accordion and musical saw) and it was just magical and completely unexpected. A friend of theirs who had featured a few months prior got in touch with me a couple of days before the show and asked if I had room for them. It was the best happy accident ever. Another just fun feature was Ali Liebegott. We were performing together at a show and I invited her to feature. She not only made one - but four new chapbooks just for the QOM reading. It was so over and above. Plus her reading itself was the sort of thing that quietly shakes you to your core. Poets who combine their words with music always shake me up a bit too - recently we had Jess Wilber and Ryka Aoki de la Cruz do that on accordion and guitar respectively and it just felt sacred. Other folks who have just blown me away and been amazing were Lauren Wheeler, Marvin White, Daphne Gottlieb, Frances Varian, Meliza Bañales, D Blair, Michelle Tea. It's hard because I book people whose work I just adore - so when you ask me which features stood out I want to send you the list of all of the performers because I really just respect and admire everyone so much. It's incredibly hard to lnot mention everyone.
PK: Wow! I had no idea that Jessica Wilber (I'm assuming we're talking about the same person, out of Wisconsin......don't know many other people by the same name who also play accordian!) read in SF. I wish I would have been there to see that! So you've got a very diverse group of features coming through. Are most nights as diverse in the open mic portion too? Have there been any "discoveries" in the open mic portion of the series that maybe you've worked with later or picked out to feature?
CE: Yes! The very same J. Wilber :). She is simply amazing. There is usually a good amount of diversity in the crowd and on the open mic list. I mean of course it varies. You would think it varies based on the features and that's true a bit, but I haven't quite figured out the magic of what gets who in the audience. We've had some nights were every person on the open mic list was a person of color. Some nights where there were tons of youth, that was cool, they asked me if I could adjust the order of the list so they could read and make curfew. One night we had like four folks read who were probably in their late 60's and they were all mixed in with our usual pervert crew. Everyone had a great time. The gender mix is usually pretty even too. I did a lot of work when I started the event to make sure I was posting in places where a wide variety of folks would see the postings. I didn't want this to become one of those "only one kind of person" readings. I think that we as humans really limit ourselves when we only engage with people who come from our own class and cultural background. It's such a gorgeously weird and interesting world out there and everyone has stories. I really wanted to make this event the sort of place where anyone could come and tell those stories and connect around them. I have definitely met some folks through the open mic list that just knocked my socks off. Sometimes it was readers who already had a reputation and I just didn't know their work yet - and sometimes it was folks who were totally new to the scene in SF. I met Frances Varian that way actually. She was moving to SF from Seattle and was a friend of a friend, but really I had no idea who she was. I heard her read and was just all DAMN. So powerful and amazing and now one of my favorite poets anywhere. She had a pretty thick resume of performing under her belt before I heard her - but definitely a gift that the open mic gave me. Another person who I hadn't heard before who was new to the scene was Luna Maia. She came up and read this short quiet and super intense poem and I was really impressed. She became a regular working out her reading style and getting her performance down and a while later she was a feature.
PK: I'd like to hear a little bit about your writing. Do you write when the mood/inspiration hits or do you have a strict work habit? What is your favorite time of day to write?
CE: I tend to write when inspiration hits. I have a daily blog habit - but in terms of what I consider my writing with a capital W I write when it comes. Most often it comes when I am in motion. Driving, on the train, walking, being in motion really fuels my muse. Recently I went on a writing retreat at a Motel 6 with another poet pal of mine. We couldn't afford some big fancy retreat so we decided to meet in between our homes (SF & LA) at a cheap motel and see what we could get done. It was amazing. I walked into the motel with a laptop and the hope that I would get a few pieces that had been awaiting revision polished up. I left two days later with a new chapbook manuscript ready to go. And I was so excited about it, that as soon as I got home I went on one of those self publishing websites and made the book. It was one of the best writing experiences I have ever had. We're now planning to do them three or four times a year.
PK: What has your experience with self-publishing been like? Do you see yourself doing the same thing with a full-length book?
CE: I love self publishing as a way to see my work as a concrete object in the world. To hold a book in your hands - there is no better feeling for me. But self publishing is not really sustainable long term if your goals are bigger than your local writing scene.
I have lost money on every chapbook I have ever created - even the ones that have sold out of their printings. To make a book that looks decent just costs some money. And if you charge enough to break even, it is often too high of a cost for folks who are coming to a reading and have already pitched in a cover charge and money for drinks. So in the long run - I would love to have a publisher. They also have the connections and the distribution and the staff to make sure the book is seen by more than your local poetry scene. I think that is as big of a thing as the printing itself.
PK: What do you see in the future for small press publishing? Do we need larger or even mainstream publishers to get our writing out on any large scale or is there a way for small press publishers to come together and reach new audiences on their own?
CE: I love small presses. I can't say that enough. LOVE small presses. I think that they can be super effective in getting work out into the world and paying enough attention to the author that the best books are made. If small presses are able to work with larger distributors it can definitely help with getting the work in stores like Borders. But really - and especially with poetry - there are small presses like Soft Skull and Fence Books where I will consider buying a book just because they published it. Because I feel connected to their vision. That doesn't happen so much with larger presses.
PK: Do you think there will be a time in the future when American society is open and accepting enough that there will be no more need for queer open mics? Would it even be desirable?
CE: I think that we'll reach a point - and already have in some urban areas where queers are as welcome on a peformance bill as anyone else. However I think that there is a way that people find support and community in an identity specific open mic that will keep queer focused open mics around. It's comfortable - like finding a slightly more comfortable place in the world to try out your chops especially if you're new. I know that recently when I went to New York there were tons of readings. I wasn't sure where to start so I started with poetry specifically. I found a safer space that way. A way to connect in and feel like I could be a part of that community. It was easier because it was about part of who I am. It would've still been possible at an open mic with fiction and comedians and music - but since I went somewhere specific to me there was that connection. That's the role I think open mics serve. To give people a launching pad that's more comfortable, where they can take more risks and really learn how to perform and bring it. And too - there is nothing like reading to a room where the folks have some shared experiences. You can ask any identity specific group. When you're in a room of your own people - the audience just GETS it more. That's an amazing feeling.
PK: Thanks a lot for this interview.
CE: Awesome - this was totally fun.
