Madi V Writes

The day started later than I anticipated and by that I mean I overslept. Then I wasted the next few sulking about how much time I’d lost sleeping. Tried to shake the frustration by taking Gilbert out for a walk only to come back drenched. The wind and the rain were in a war for dominance out there, a tornado brewing.

Facetimed with a friend in NYC until my lunch was ready and the wind won the war. In celebration of the return of the sun, Gilbert and I geared up for a walk to the park. My fanny pack full of poo bags, airpods in my ears, Gilbert carrying his mini lamb chop, and off we went. As anyone prepping for the Eras tour would I’ve been calculating time in Taylor Swift albums and this second walk lasted us one and half evermore‘s.

The walk and the sunny change in weather gave me the push I needed to turn my mood around so I sat down at my desk and set out to start this blog. By 5 p.m. I was ready to call it quits, because I’ve got the terrible trait of wanting to quit anything I’m not immediately incredible at. By 6 p.m. I’d successfully published the first two journal entries and began personalizing the layout. Amateur tip: find your theme first, editing is miles easier when you can see the format.

I spent the rest of the night at the Uptown Jazz Lounge for the library’s Bards & Brews event. I’m not religious anymore, but I found everything I’d hoped to find in eighteen years at church in that jazz lounge. The support was astounding, encouragement clapping and snapping its way out of every body in that room. The bartender, Natalie, noticed me journaling and asked me if I was performing. When I told her no, I’ve got stage fright, she offered me another glass of cabernet insisted I ought to read something. I swore to her someday and she said she’d hold me to that. Reader, I believe her.

The emcee encouraged performers to take their time, accommodated them with witty banter if they needed another minute to make it to the stage. Audience equally engaged with the speaker, listening intently snapping in agreement, nodding in recognition. It was heaven, the tangible existence of community. Poets, bless the Birmingham Public Library.

I’d be remiss to praise poetry in Alabama and its power to build community without mentioning The Flourish. Co-founder Jahmon Hill has been at every Bards & Brews event I’ve attended. Performing, hosting, inviting us out to wherever The Flourish is planting seeds for the remainder of the evening. Now, that place is The Greenhouse the organizations new home in Ensley. Eric Marable, Jr., co-founder of The Flourish, was the first person to successfully push me to read a poem in front of people at another BPL event. I’ve attended a writer’s workshop, hosted by Tania De’shawn, at The Greenhouse in December. I’m completely in awe of the work they are doing and the opportunity to be a small part of their growth.

I digress, after I’d been home a while and still riding the literary high I started reading the next book on my TBR list. Rebecca Makkai’s latest mystery novel I Have Some Questions for You. The book follows podcast host and soon to be divorcee Body Kane as she returns to her high school alma matter in hopes of re-opening the twenty-three year old murder investigation of her junior year roommate. I have some thoughts about this book one third of the way through… I’ll save them for tomorrow.