By Mary Windsor, Staff Writer

Published in print Feb. 11, 2015

    Some would argue that spoken word is the purest form of poetry. Listening to the authors voice, and gauging their emotions through their voice, help to illustrate the author’s vision. Stuart Dischell, a professor at UNCG, read to the patrons of Tate Street Coffee House on Saturday,  Feb. 9.

   Though the venue was noisy with the usual coffeehouse ambience, the poets managed to read past the sounds of coffee grinders to turn the space into a close and intimate affair.

   When introduced, Dischell’s achievements included his poems being published in The Atlantic, Agni, The New Republic, Slate, Kenyon Review and his given readings at The Library of Congress, the Los Angeles Times Book Festival, The Chateau Marmont, the American Library of Paris, and the American University of Paris.

   “I feel so impressed myself. I feel like I should call my mom right now,” said Dischell, mocking his lengthy introduction.

   While introducing his first reading, Dischell urged poets to follow the Hippocratic oath and not harm, as poets are one the most harmless creatures. His first poem was called “Harmless Poems,” where he spoke lines such as “forgive astronauts for their proximity,” “forgive orgasms for their intensity, and the faces they make in peoples faces,” and “the departure of lovers.”

   The next piece, title “Days of Me,” was more nostalgic and personal, like a self-memoir or a reflection of the past.

    “When people say they miss me, I think of how I miss me too. Me, the old me, the great me.”

   The poem begins and progresses as Dischell plays with the reality between fact and fiction.

   As he read, it became clear that the poem was more lyrical than narrative. It was published in Slate Magazine in November of 1997.

Dischell laughed after he read the last two lines of his poem, “Plans.” 

    “The fortune in a cookie told her: Picture what you wish to become, if you wish to become that picture.” He laughed as he said that wasn’t really an actual fortune cookie he read, but something he once heard about Chuck Norris.

   Dischell read three more poems throughout the evening, “Mysteries of Aurora,” which came in seven sections, “The Figure,” and “Later There Were Swans.”

   After Dischell’s reading, an “openmic” portion of the night began,

where anyone in the crowd was welcome to perform a piece of their own poetry.

   “His use of imagery pulled me in, while the subject matter he discussed was accessible enough that I felt I could relate, almost personally, to the stories in his poems,” said Maggie Young, a student of Dischell’s. “The reading has definitely inspired me to look up more of his poetry. Especially since he’s my professor, it’s always great to hear the person who is teaching you give readings of their own work—it’s very inspiring.”