Getting Lost in Poetry

Steven Link reads original poetry at his monthly poetry readings. Photo by Katie Sikora.

Amateur poet and shopkeeper Steven Link’s tall frame is dwarfed only by the ceiling-high bookshelf scattered with rare and unique titles as he sips on white wine and runs long fingers through his blonde hair while reciting an original poem to a handful of locals and guests within the store. It is part of a recent series of open poetry readings at his store “Untitled” Used and Rare Books in downtown Sturgeon Bay on the first Friday of each month.

Early in 2012, Link started the monthly readings to showcase the talented amateur poets in the Door County area. The event contributes to the push for Sturgeon Bay businesses to stay open later on the weekends. Link attributed it as an alternative to the downtown bar scene. He also sought to offer the community a means of expression in a relaxed and supportive environment.

I arrived at the store as he was beginning to set up, giving me an opportunity to sift through stacks of books and find everything from the Natural History of Japan to Mark Twain’s complete works. After stepping to the nearly hidden back rooms, I found a wall of vinyl records, some still lightly dusted from their years away from a record player. The history and variety provided the kind of bookstore to get lost in.

At 6 pm Link stood before the microphone to open the night with a few of his original works and favorites from other authors. The floor was then open for all who wished to read their own or someone else’s work. There is no limit on what a person may read or how much they read. For every original piece there is another from a favorite author of an amateur poet. This simple format urges all to participate, even if it means grabbing a book from the poetry section in the back of the store and opening it to the first page.

With readers including tourists, bus drivers, and a self-proclaimed fan of theatrics, there was sure to be a piece that struck a chord with whoever was in attendance. Themes ranged from political commentary inspired by Michelle Bachman to a man living next to a river in a police car from the ‘30s. As the hours rolled by, Link reminded us that he “would have no problem reading poetry late into the night.”

Link was excited to have newcomers such as myself there to read pieces. Given my recent poetry writing class with the famous University of Iowa writing department, I felt that I had what it took to contribute to the night. The tall bookcases and unmatched cushioned chairs provided for a comfortably eerie scene, as if I was reading to the store itself and contributing to the history stacked around me. Despite my overwhelming nerves, I found myself wishing I had brought more of my pieces along after I finished reading.

Jackson Parr reads his untitled poem at “Untitled” Rare and Used Books poetry readings. (Ironic). Photo by Katie Sikora.

The night began with less people than Link hoped for but before long the store was brimming with other local poets and tourists stopping in to hear a bit of the local flavor. He has considered holding off the poetry readings until the later fall months as, “many of the locals don’t come out during the summer with all the tourists. It’s hard to get them to come down here.”

Yet he also expressed interest in expanding the reading to include a workshop. Poets could bring their works, read them to all in attendance and receive supportive commentary and constructive criticism on how to improve the piece in the eyes of the listeners. Link is passionate about poetry as an art form and poetry as a means of expression and seeks to provide that outlet in as many ways possible.

Although his wit never fails to crack a joke, his serious passion reaches to everything he has within the store. Between reading poems, he claimed to have shed a tear as one of his antique maps walked out the store with a customer the previous week. There is sentimental value on each shelf that he chooses to open up to the community.

As the sun went down, I left not only with a better understanding of my own poetry, but a greater appreciation for the poets of Door County (not to mention three new vinyl records).

Untitled Used and Rare Books is located at 20 N 3rd Avenue in Sturgeon Bay. Poetry readings take place the first Friday of every month from 5 – 8 pm. For more information call 920.746.3171 or visit http://www.untitledusedandrarebooks.com.

Untitled
By Jackson Parr

I worked in a grain elevator in northern South Dakota.
I stayed later than I should have,
For the Western wind was blowing pollen in my eyes
And screaming asphalt in my ears.
I called a stranger with my thumb
I saw a plane in the sky as our car hydroplaned. I was thirsty
So I bought water with a wink and a white smile.

I cried myself to sleep. Who knew solitude was a rude companion?
Always slapping your lungs, passing a yawn to your lips
And music to another’s ears.
But fears of fortune fade and you punch a whole through flawless law
In search of something to rest your sweaty hand down, sparkling
From pink glitter in the heat.

I haven’t seen a skyscraper in weeks.
But I scrape the sky with my left-handed walking stick and shave close
To the difference between a satellite and a star. So far,
I have gotten nowhere on my crumpled gas station map.
But I just turned twenty. No turning back now. I have two million
Birthday candles blowing in the wind. Yet I don’t see any answers there.

Could Bob Dylan have been wrong?