Poet Christine Hall Helps Nashvillians Project Their Voices

In May, I decided to perform a poem. I am not a poet by any means, but I write, and I wanted to honor my ability to make and share art by reciting one of my poems, even if I only did it once in my life. So on the customary second Saturday of the month, I went to Portland Brew East’s open mic. I had my notebook and a fair amount of anxiety, but I was met by a friendly crowd of amateur and professional poets who were welcoming and encouraging of one another. 

That space is made possible by Christine Hall. She is a local poet who hosts the monthly open-mic night called Poetry in the Brew. She also helps run Studio 66, an art gallery in The Nashville Arcade downtown. As an artist and organizer, Hall understands the importance of creating space for the people in Nashville’s literary and art scenes to breathe and thrive. I sat down with Hall at ZolliKoffee to talk about poetry, art, community and open mics. 

Can you tell me about yourself as a person, professional and poet? 

My parents brought me here [to Nashville] when I was 14. … I got really into the scene at Lucy’s Record Shop, which was a little DIY punk record shop that had shows in the back. … Punk and poetry were pretty good friends. … So I was into that and also I would go and check out other poetry readings around town. … [Years later] I fell in love with an 1888 Victorian over there in Germantown and I leased out the bottom half and made a community art center which was called MuseX Bazaar. And that was kind of where I started formally hosting shows. That was 2005. I hosted a lot of variety shows. … I love curating. I called it facilitating. I still prefer that word. 

You’re a facilitator at Studio 66. What does that role mean for you? 

I’m really in communications. That’s the common thread in everything I do. I really like when people connect, when they say what they mean. I like bringing things to the surface and [asking], “What do you have to offer? What do you enjoy offering?” I love intuitively arranging shows, I love concept art, I will sit with an artist to listen to their story and help them write a statement that really says what they’re working to say. … I just love helping people project their voices.

Let’s talk about you as a poet. I know you have a book out…

[Laughs] That was my journal that I published myself because I was tired of carrying around loose things of paper…

How did Poetry in the Brew come about? Did you start that or did someone pass that torch to you? 

I sure did not. So, funny timing, it’s been exactly five years since the original organizers asked me to steward the event. … They had been doing it for three years, so it’s been eight years total. 

There’s a huge range of people and poems that are present there, correct? 

Yeah, I get so excited when like Caroline Randall Williams or Destiny Birdsong agree [to perform]. … [I want to] draw as many people who need this platform. … It’s super literary and then super street. I like where the intersection is. It makes me really happy. 

What would you say to someone who wants to perform poetry but feels nervous or anxious about it?

If you’re nervous, it’s probably important. If you feel something about it then it means something, you know? I still get nervous. I still get the shakes. Most people I know that feel what they’re doing, if they’re really inhabiting their words, that’s a big part of the experience. We can call it exciting, we can call it an adrenaline rush, we can call it a purging in a healthy way. It’s pretty important. 

Are there any really memorable moments or nights from a Poetry in the Brew event? 

When Tiana Clark performed [in January 2016] there were people sitting on the floor all around, just everywhere. … Also Craig Freeman did a feature. … It was a three-part play based around his poetry. …That was amazing, he got a standing ovation. … You could feel yourself transform. 

Are there a lot of open mics around Nashville? Do they work in competition with each one another?

No. Even now that we have more than one poetry event on any given night, it’s a really supportive, cross-promoting scene. I don’t see much cattiness at all. 

What events do you have coming up? 

The next [Poetry in the Brew] event is Dec. 14. Spoke N-Words is our last featured poet of the year. … We are right now renovating Studio 66, so we’re aiming to reopen in the spring. 

Poetry in the Brew takes place on the second Saturday of every month at Portland Brew in East Nashville. You can stay posted on upcoming events and featured speakers on the event’s blog. You can also follow Studio 66’s progress through its Facebook page.