Willow House Poetry
From AZPoetrypedia
Contents |
Hosts
Theodore Christ
Karla McCormick
Jason Davis
Olyn Wayne
Stephen G. Roy
Numerous Guest Hosts during 04-08
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Early Willow House Poetry began in 1991 to Jason Alan Davis's knowledge as a slam founded by Theodore Christ. It took place on Thursdays around 8pm till it was finished. The Slam initially took place inside the main building and out front on a small stage until some time around 1996. Other poets and organizers involved with Willow Poetry before 1996 were Mary McCann (the local DJ at KUKQ), Brian Flatguard, Dale Anderson, Cleopache and Lee R. Ballard. Lee R. Ballard was definitely not a slam fan. Mr. Ballard complained about slam poetry often enough for it to be memorable. Karla McCormick was the host of Willow House Poetry on the arrival of JAD and passed him the hosting duties in the summer of 96.
Jason Davis
The reading during this time took place in the Little Theater adjacent to the main building on a triangular stage in one corner of the room. Directly at ten o' clock the room was taken over by an AA group with their late night meeting. The room was extremely warm in summer despite fans and a swamp cooler and cold in winters despite heaters. While often AA customers would disturb the reading to utilize the bathroom in a narrow hallway... which required them to pass in front of the performer with great distraction, both from the individual and from the subsequent flushing.
Notable regulars and attending performers during 96-98 are "Jonathan Standifird, Cleopache, Olynn Wayne, Dysseus Freed (likely deceased), Dale Anderson (deceased), Lee R. Ballard (deceased), M. Schell, Brian Visel, Paula, Barry Graham (before he became a monk), George Tirado, Dorthey, Paul Dlouhy, Phredd, Tom Friday (aka Tomcat), Steve Wood, Kara Kay, Jack Evans, Billie J. Dominick, Laurie Hurley, George Gilcrease, Ravic, and Bridget Carrol. The format was a simple sign up sheet out before the reading started and held by the host to announce the next performer. Complete attendance is difficult to ascertain as not all sign-in sheets survive from this time and none of them are dated. So it is possible some of the sign-in sheets from before 2002 are from 2001. However a general tally amongst the sheets shows periodic lows of four to five attendees with highs in the twenty to rare thirty numbers. On average the attendance during this period was eight to fourteen. Some attempts were made to start running features to very little success. Tom Friday it can be noted sometime in 1997 failed to show up for his feature for the first time.
Olyn Wayne
In 1998 the reading was passed to Olynn Wayne by JAD and was carried into 2001. By a stroke of sheer luck JAD made a rare trip to Willow on a Thursday night to discover that there was no poetry that night. Apparently there had been a falling out with the owners and with the poetry scene by Olynn Wayne. So JAD got it running up again by the following week. Only one was missed thereafter until it's closing in 2008. There is only one notable performer during 98-02 as JAD was not in normal attendance and Olynn Wayne may not either make or keep and thusly did not pass sign-in sheets. That one notable performer of mention is Corbet Dean Who began his poetry career at the Willow House with Olynn Wayne as host.
Jason Davis
2002 saw the names of Lisa Marie, Stephen G. Roy, Jessica Hartig (eventually to be Standifird), Patrick Hare, Bill Campana, Tracy Thomas, Brandy Lintecum (aka Brandy Star), JRC, Jim Mckay, Dom Flemons, Sahar Afi, The Klute, Jon Kirfoff, Ken Arkind, Buddy Wakefield, Brian Rogers, The Cockney Rebel, Robin Graves, The Klute, Johnna Gale, Ronald Auguste, Artiste, Julie Peterson, Tony D, Craig Kessinger, Kimi, Tone, Victoria Troll etc... being added to the sign in sheets. Sign-in sheets now printed with lines and numbers, areas to note the feature, attendance, date, rules etc.
2002 was extremely organized with weekly features and flyers for each individual feature created to be distributed in downtown phoenix. JAD ran a regular weekly email newsletter with a summary of the previous weeks reading. While the development of the Louie game and mascot also took place at this time. Late in 2002 the poetry reading finally moved back inside. Reconnected back thru Stephen G. Roy and many of the other visiting slam poets to its roots.
Stephen G. Roy
On Halloween 2002 the affectionately titled "Willow House Open Poetry Reading" was passed to Stephen G. Roy then host as well of Paisley Violin Open Poetry. Even with a little ceremony and during the Seven Days of Halloween organized by SGR. Davis then headed West to infect Lancaster California with art and poetry, eventually founding a new reading.
Jason Davis
In late 2004 JAD returned and SGR passed the event back into his hands. The number of regular poets and poets of note during this time in the sign-in sheets is incredibly long. Yet it is during this time that regularly paying featured performers began. Poetry started taking place indoors and outdoors. The average number of readers sits fairly steady in the arena of twenty for long stretches and the names Ernesto Moncada (host of FireStage) and Anna Schuer (host of Conspire Poetry Hour) appear in the list. Of important note are the poetry clans which developed and sat during this period. "The Awesomes" composed primarily of Sammi the Awesome, Jami the Awesome, William the Awesome ect. The Whore Generation composed of Shilo Davis, Tiki ect. The Bitter Bitch Brigade of whom the names are elusive and no documentation exists. The establishment of the Three Eyed Monkey game. The Willow House Poetry Reading alternative to a slam competition which included all members of the audience. The regular weekly features ran the entire four years and spawned the birth of Poetry Passports. The production of the Wrong Way Ass#@#$ collection of Willow House Poetry etc.
In mid 2008 the Willow House moved from its location on 3rd Ave and McDowell to 1722 West Van Buren. Due to gentrification caused by the Light Rail construction. The landlord raised the rent over a thousand dollars. So the owners decided to move. The Willow House Poetry Reading did not skip a beat and took place amidst construction at the new location until its doors opened officially a week or so later. Then abruptly closed several months later for good when the then-owners did not make good on their rent of the building. Closing of all days on a Thursday. JAD was in attendance and painting the front steps as the closing occurred.
