Playboy magazine once described a dive bar as “A church for down-and-outers and those who romanticize them, a rare place where high and low rub elbows—bums and poets, thieves and slumming celebrities. It’s a place that wears its history proudly.”
Shantytown Pub is a Dive Bar, but this past Sunday night there were no bums, no thieves, no slumming celebrities, just a bar full of poets and those with hearts to hear their words.
Poetry Night at Shanty is held on selected Sundays. It is hosted by Mr. Charlie Shuck and Ms. Kathleen Shelton. Mr. Shuck also hosts a weekly open mic at Nighthawks, Late Nite Open Mic with Charlie Shuck. When she’s not sharing her words, Ms Shelton is pursuing another creative path with Tiny Treasures By Kes.
The duo invite you to “share your poems, raps, lyrical epic pieces, stories, lengthy genius readings (don’t know how to explain everything. Just want to include everyone because the sharing is beautiful) and thoughts!”
“Everyone is welcome. Original work and pieces are encouraged but if you have favorites that are influences, and you want to share, please do. Sign up sheet will be somewhere in the bar.”
Many of the open mics in this and other cities find musicians and poets straining to be heard over loud chatter, bar noise and just about any other distraction that can be found. Not so at Poetry Night at Shanty. The majority were there for poetry and the few that were not remained quiet and respectful toward the poets.
There were Transgendered Vampires, Bellhops getting screwed by Donald Trump, fathers and daughters, a locksmith, higher education and the politics therein . There were hopes, dreams and fears. There were armpits and hairbrushes and tales of when the two meet.
Through it all there was honesty and warmth within the words. Even when honesty required that the words be harsh, there was a warmth, both in the giving of the words, and in the receiving of the words. Words that reminded me of Dead Poets Society;
“We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”
Poetry Night at Shanty, something to stay alive for.
Selected Sundays
8:30 pm – 11:30 pm
18 and up
Shantytown Pub
22 W 6th St
Jacksonville, Florida, FL 32206
(904) 798-8222
Last updated 10/03/2017
