Fresh Meat Poets Showcase [Reading Preview]

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Fresh Meat Poets Showcase
Wednesday, December 7
Space 12 (3121 E. 12th)
$5 suggested donation, Doors at 7:30, Reading at 8:00
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Note: this post is by contributor Andrew Hilbert.

For a town as literate and event-happy as Austin, it is concerning that there are not as many young poetry events where a person can relax, drink a beer, and listen to poetry. Sure, there are great literary events such as 5 Things! and the Encyclopedia Show that cater to the twenty-something crowd, but there is not much pure poetry. The Fresh Meat Poets Showcase aims to change that.

"The open mics around town are great and all, but after a point you see the same people there, often belonging to an older generation, leaving little room for new blood in the scene," says event organizer, Sam Trevino. Trevino was in between jobs, on a break from school, and felt the need to become more active in cultivating a younger scene for poetry in Austin. He recognizes that there are plenty of great poetry events around Austin but a lot of these events take place at the University of Texas or St. Edward's, are not well advertised, and can be a turn off to poets in their twenties who do not want to attend something in an ivory tower.

Fresh Meat Poets Showcase will have a vibrant atmosphere with beer for sale to boot at Space12. With seventeen poets reading and an open mic at the end of the show, the showcase will present a very diverse and varied voice of Austin poetry.

At many open mics around town, Trevino says plenty of people would brag about how they came up in the poetry scene during the '60s. "What about twenty-year-olds?" Trevino asks. "It's our turn."