Sacrificial Poets draws crowd at ?rst event of semester

Sophomore Ashley Harris said she was excited — but scared — to try out her new material for the Sacrificial Poets’ first open mic night of the school year Wednesday.

Harris, a member of the organization, said she loves performing at these open mic nights, which the Sacrificial Poets hold once a month at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill.

“It’s definitely scary but it’s going to help me,” she said.
The Sacrificial Poets, an organization directed by UNC graduate Will McInerney, encourages local youth to write and perform poetry.

The organization also includes a competitive poetry performance team made up of teenagers ages 13 to 19 in the Triangle area.

“We help create places for young people to come and empower themselves,” McInerney said.

Wednesday’s event included readings from both a program veteran and a first time poet, as well as original song performances.

Topics ranged from the serious — the July 20 shooting in Aurora, Colo., unemployment and racial discrimination — to the lighthearted.

One songwriter even performed a piece about ‘FML’ moments.

Though McInerney said the open mic nights — which have taken place nearly every month over the past four years — often have crowds of more than 125 people, about 60 people attended Wednesday night’s performance.

McInerney said the open mic nights provide a space for community members — not just the youth involved in the program — to exercise their voices in a welcoming environment.

“We live in a university town that a lot of times forgets about the young people who grow up here,” he said.

“They do have a lot of power and there’s a lot that we can learn from them.”

Jamie Fiocco, owner of Flyleaf Books, said the bookstore got involved when the Sacrificial Poets were looking for a new performance space.

“We’re happy to provide space (because) it dovetails nicely with our mission,” she said.

Fiocco said she thinks the organization provides an important service to the community.

“I’m really proud of what Sacrificial Poets does,” she said. “I think it’s a really good use of time for people to be working on poetry … it’s good for the community.”

Jasmine Farmer said her English teacher told her to try performing her poetry at the monthly open mic.

Farmer said she quickly fell in love with the Sacrificial Poets and its mission.

“I was just addicted, (so) I started competing,” she said. “They’re like my second family.”

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