JCW Presents: One Mic Stand with SJ
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Step up. Speak out. Stand tall.
Jersey City Writers invites you to One-Mic Stand with SJ—an open mic experience like no other! This is where raw talent meets electrifying energy, and every voice has a chance to shine.
On the 2nd Friday of every month, two incredible featured poets will take the stage alongside a lineup of fearless performers from our vibrant poetry community. Open mic slots are 5 minutes each, giving you the perfect space to share your truth—whether it’s poetry, spoken word, or a story waiting to be heard.
Come for the poetry. Stay for the magic. Join the movement.
$10 Suggested Donation (Cash, Venmo, Paypal)
Doors open at 6:30pm, Open Mic starts at 7pm -- first come, first served!
Our Host Steve Willett (SJ) is a sound poet who is actively involved in the poetry community and has had several feature performances around New Jersey. His poem ‘Petulance’ was a shortlisted selection for the University of Grimsby’s Hammond House International Poetry Competition in 2019. Steve serves as moderator for the Jersey City Writers (JC Plums) poetry group, which meets online every week to discuss poetry and improve participants' works. He was also one of the producers for the Jersey City Writers JC Poetry Festival in 2023 and is currently working on the 2025 festival. He is also a teaching artist at Newark School of the Arts. He lives with his wife, 2 daughters, and 5 cats in the Heights. He is excited to have his own Open Mic, (One-Mic Stand with SJ), and give back to a community that has given so much support to him.
08/14 FEATURED ACTS: Noah Arhm Choi & Meliq the Plant Poet
Noah Arhm Choi is the author of Cut to Bloom, winner of the 2019 Jack McCarthy Prize. A Lambda Literary Poet-In-Residence and Valentines Editor for Honey Literary, they received an MFA from Sarah Lawrence, and their work appears in The Adroit Journal, Split this Rock, The Rumpus, Foglifter, and elsewhere. Noah was shortlisted for the Poetry International Prize and received the Ellen Conroy Kennedy Poetry Prize, alongside fellowships from Kundiman, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and the Adirondack Center for Writing. They serve on the Kundiman Board of Trustees and currently work at NYU Metro Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools. A K-12 educator of fifteen years, they work to embolden the intersection of education, activism, and the arts.
Meliq August aka Meliq the Plant Poet is a Belizean-American, queer, non-binary, multi-disciplinary artist, earthworker, budding herbalist, and transformative educator. Hailing from North Bergen, NJ, they are now paving the way with their robust talents in the city of Newark through healing avenues stemming from an Afro-Indigenous framework of thought. With a collegiate background in sociology and photography, Meliq focuses on the intersectionality of identity as well as their lanes of expertise to shake and make a difference in the community. Through their artistry and activism, Meliq strongly focuses on the upliftment and empowerment of Black, Indigenous, Trans, and Queer peoples, as well as all other historically marginalized communities. To connect or learn more about their work, they can be contacted through instagram @meliqaugust or via email at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Supported by public funds from the Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund
Jersey City Writers invites you to One-Mic Stand with SJ—an open mic experience like no other! This is where raw talent meets electrifying energy, and every voice has a chance to shine.
On the 2nd Friday of every month, two incredible featured poets will take the stage alongside a lineup of fearless performers from our vibrant poetry community. Open mic slots are 5 minutes each, giving you the perfect space to share your truth—whether it’s poetry, spoken word, or a story waiting to be heard.
Come for the poetry. Stay for the magic. Join the movement.
$10 Suggested Donation (Cash, Venmo, Paypal)
Doors open at 6:30pm, Open Mic starts at 7pm -- first come, first served!
Our Host Steve Willett (SJ) is a sound poet who is actively involved in the poetry community and has had several feature performances around New Jersey. His poem ‘Petulance’ was a shortlisted selection for the University of Grimsby’s Hammond House International Poetry Competition in 2019. Steve serves as moderator for the Jersey City Writers (JC Plums) poetry group, which meets online every week to discuss poetry and improve participants' works. He was also one of the producers for the Jersey City Writers JC Poetry Festival in 2023 and is currently working on the 2025 festival. He is also a teaching artist at Newark School of the Arts. He lives with his wife, 2 daughters, and 5 cats in the Heights. He is excited to have his own Open Mic, (One-Mic Stand with SJ), and give back to a community that has given so much support to him.
08/14 FEATURED ACTS: Noah Arhm Choi & Meliq the Plant Poet
Noah Arhm Choi is the author of Cut to Bloom, winner of the 2019 Jack McCarthy Prize. A Lambda Literary Poet-In-Residence and Valentines Editor for Honey Literary, they received an MFA from Sarah Lawrence, and their work appears in The Adroit Journal, Split this Rock, The Rumpus, Foglifter, and elsewhere. Noah was shortlisted for the Poetry International Prize and received the Ellen Conroy Kennedy Poetry Prize, alongside fellowships from Kundiman, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and the Adirondack Center for Writing. They serve on the Kundiman Board of Trustees and currently work at NYU Metro Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools. A K-12 educator of fifteen years, they work to embolden the intersection of education, activism, and the arts.
Meliq August aka Meliq the Plant Poet is a Belizean-American, queer, non-binary, multi-disciplinary artist, earthworker, budding herbalist, and transformative educator. Hailing from North Bergen, NJ, they are now paving the way with their robust talents in the city of Newark through healing avenues stemming from an Afro-Indigenous framework of thought. With a collegiate background in sociology and photography, Meliq focuses on the intersectionality of identity as well as their lanes of expertise to shake and make a difference in the community. Through their artistry and activism, Meliq strongly focuses on the upliftment and empowerment of Black, Indigenous, Trans, and Queer peoples, as well as all other historically marginalized communities. To connect or learn more about their work, they can be contacted through instagram @meliqaugust or via email at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
Supported by public funds from the Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund
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Where is it happening?
157B 1st Street, Jersey City, NJ, United States
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherSteve Willett
