Student organization Never Let Your Pen Dry to host first-ever Valentine’s Day poetry showcase

Abigail Hartzell
Thu, 15 Feb 2024 02:57:32 +0000
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Student organization Never Let Your Pen Dry is hosting a Valentine’s-themed poetry event Thursday, with more details listed in the group’s flyer, pictured above. Credit: Courtesy of Never Let Your Pen Dry

Staying true to its name, Never Let Your Pen Dry is helping amateur and adept poets alike share words of love.

Never Let Your Pen Dry — a student organization for aspiring poets, also known as NLYPD — will hold its first-ever Valentine’s-themed showcase, titled “All About Love,” at the Hale Center’s MLK Lounge Thursday, which will feature performances from Ohio State students and local DJs, poets and musicians. Ohio State students Gabriella Guilfu and Christian Contreras, the event’s primary planners, said the showcase is meant to present love poems of all varieties.?

Contreras, a first-year graduate student in African American and African studies and NLYPD’s vice president, said the event’s definition of a “love poem” is intentionally open-ended.?

“The showcase will be the day after Valentine’s, and so basically all the poets are doing poems about love, whether it’s the good, the bad or the ugly,” Contreras said.

Beyond poetry, Contreras said the event will dip into other artistic mediums in order to further celebrate art and love. Specifically, he said DJ Cole World, poet Artistic Genius, local rapper Mekhi Stone and student singer Shawna Hunter will all be performing in their respective styles at the event.

Guilfu, a second-year in psychology and NLYPD president, said she wants the event to be a comforting space where everyone feels welcome.?

“We’re just putting the marriage between music, love and creating a beautiful environment of comfort and peace, really listening to the words these poets have to offer,” Guilfu said. “It’s genuinely going to be a comforting experience for everybody to come and to truly enjoy the art of what our poets have come to write.”

Because NLYPD wanted to create an impactful event that leaves an imprint on the Ohio State community, Guilfu said the organization went through months of preparation to turn the idea of “All About Love” into a reality.?

“It was just genuinely a project that was nurtured, watered, and grown and still growing now,” Guilfu said.?

Contreras said she has been rehearsing with the event’s special guests to ensure the performances will resonate directly with the audience.?

“I’ve been really working with the performers and making sure their poems come alive because a lot of times when you go to poetry readers, it is more focused on the writing, but I wanted to make sure that there was an equal focus on the performance so the audience would be more engaged,” Contreras said. “I’m excited to see them during the show and how all that practice has come into fruition.”?

Guilfu said NLYPD has always strived to create an atmosphere that is welcoming to writers and poets of all skill levels, so even beginners can get their feet wet and explore their creative voices. Through this event, students may indulge themselves in learning more about poetry, music, art and love, she said.?

“We want to be an organization where all people can be involved,” Guilfu said. “We are a heavily Black organization and Black-led, but we love to accept people from different walks of life because we believe that poetry is a beauty that should be shared with everybody, specifically those who are silent, should have their voice heard.”

Because the event seeks to establish a safe space for earnest expressions of affection, Guilfu said “All About Love” will help attendees understand the courage it takes to be vulnerable as an artist and/or performer.?

“We’re not trying to just do poetry,” Contreras said. “There is sometimes a disconnect that poetry is overly academic and does not relate to people. We are trying to create poetry that is understandable and can make people feel. That is our goal.”

“All About Love” is free to attend and is scheduled for Thursday from 7 to 8 p.m. More information about the event can be found on Never Let Your Pen Dry’s Instagram page.