Lawrence.com: Voices in the Dark

Local watering holes are opening their doors to poetry. But who's listening?

By Richard Gintowt

Tuesday, October 5, 2004

Lawrence poet and fomenter of "Unholy Day" Poetry Night, which starts this Sunday night at the Jackpot Saloon.
photo compliments of: Thad Allender / lawrence.com

As any poet knows, the best reward for a good performance is silence.

The kind of silence where you can hear paper crinkling ... the toilet flushing ... the door guy asking incoming patrons for IDs.

Most of all, the kind of silence where you can hear what the FREAKING POET IS SAYING.

When Ed Tato stalks the stage, this in the kind of silence he's looking for. And as a veteran of the local poetry "scene" (a phrase that would send most local poets into convulsive fits of laughter), Ed Tato usually gets it.

Tonight, as Tato performs at the Jazzhaus, the silence is particularly meaningful - there's actually a crowd to shut up. It's a far cry from last month's poetry night, which attracted a sum total of two readers and one listener ... and was held on the roof (to sidestep the smoking ban).

Not that Tato gives two flips if anyone shows up. He's been around long enough to keep his expectations low.

"Nobody goes to poetry readings, man," says the beer-loosened Tato before taking the stage at the Jazzhaus. "It's poetry - who the f*ck cares?"

Hitting the Jackpot

For all his pessimism, Tato is sincere in his desire to reach people with his poetry. When he's not selling real estate (he also recently stepped down as president of the East Lawrence Neighborhood Assn.), Tato is an avid writer with a published book of poetry ("True Stories from la Cosa Nostra") and a reputation for delivering engaging, passionate readings.

Beginning Oct. 10, Tato will host the "Unholy Day" Poetry Night at the Jackpot Saloon. On the second Sunday of every month, an open mic will follow readings by poets from the extended family of Kansas City-based publisher Unholy Day Press.

One poet who may not necessarily take the stage, however, is Tato.

"I'm a megalomaniac so I want to make this not be about me," he said.

The inaugural event will feature Lawrence poets Sarah Ruhlen and Christopher Sitro, and future installments of the series will likely bring KC-based poets like Jason Ryberg and Will Leathem.

Tato said he hoped the featured speakers would bring an element of professional-grade entertainment to the night, as well as inspire people who wouldn't ordinarily be interested in poetry to come and listen.

"If you play music and you play it well, people will be entertained," he said. "You can't say that about poetry."

photo compliments of: Thad Allender / lawrence.com

By design, poets who wish to sign up for the open mic will have to show up before the featured speaker to get on the list.

According to Ruhlen, who performed a number of times at the now-defunct "Medusa" readings at Aimee's Coffehouse, that should help deter poets who are more interested in hearing their own voice than listening to their peers.

"You get a lot of, 'I'm going to read and then I'm going to go out and celebrate my reading,'" she said. "I just kind of take it in stride. I figure that's part of growing up as a poet - learning that there are other people out there and it's probably a good idea to listen to them."