On March 5, students showcased their creative talents at The Coffee House Writers Workshop’s open mic. The event featured impactful writings as participants explored their creative voices during ECC’s campus staple.
The next open mic will be held on April 7 featuring Chicago Poet Laureate, Mayda Del Valle.
“All poetry is worth speaking outloud,” said Joshua Thusat, a professor of English at ECC. “The Coffee House should be a celebration of knowing you’re not alone as a writer in the community.”
Liliana Rederer, a final-semester student with a passion for poetry contributed to the evening’s diverse lineup of performances.
“I’m always eager to share my work,” she said. “That’s the poet’s dilemma. A lot of poems have this universal connotation meaning to the audience, even if it’s the essence of the poet’s soul.”
“Hide-and-Go! Seek” was an original work written by Rederer that she hopes to record for an EP in the summer.
“I’m not longer waiting, I don’t need you to read my face like a blurry page,” a line.
“It’s this idea of love, and it’s hiding from me. I’m chasing after it and biting off more than I can chew and I can never get it. The dynamics are meant to express the emotional journey of the piece,” Rederer expressed.
“I use low to middle diction; I love using slang,” she said. “It feels more personal.”
“Last coffee house I shared a slam poem that was a criticism on AI. “This open mic night, I strictly performed a song. My goal is for the audience to understand me,” Rederer continued.
Thusat explained how ECC Coffee House events were a catalyst for thoughtful discussion. “In the beginning, we had around five people. Then we had four scholarship students who came up with this plan to make sure that no one sits alone.”
Zoe Adamson, one of four scholarship students who helped organize the event, emphasized that the audience clapped for the speaker before and after each reading.
The casual environment motivated students to share works in progress, new ideas, and to receive constructive feedback, Thusat said.
“My poem is meant for the audience,” Rederer said. “It’s not meant just for me; It’s not just meant to be read—it’s meant to have an intimacy with the audience that you would not have otherwise if there’s no interaction.”
“When people are sharing their work out loud and you’re just sitting in the room, absorbing that, it conditions you to open-mindedness,” Rederer said.
Over 20 people attended Thursday night’s event.
“Because whatever’s going on in this world is scary and a lot of the American people are stumped on what to do. What step are you going to take in this world? Through my poetry, that’s my influence in persuading people to take action themselves,” Rederer expressed.
“There’s a lot of anger in communities because the population is so condensed, word travels fast,” Rederer said.
“That’s when there’s more destruction,” she added,“There are a lot of poets who oppose this regime.”
