Area Artists Share Stories During Open Mic Event

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AIKEN, SC (04/27/2018) The newly launched Live Literature Series sponsored by the University of South Carolina Aiken Library Committee featured "Storytelling Open Mic with Shannon Cason."

The event, held on campus in the Learning Commons of the Gregg-Graniteville Library, was the second in the series.

It lent "an increased liveliness and vibrancy to the academic setting," said one participant.

Detroit-based storyteller and podcast host Shannon Cason facilitated the open mic night before a packed crowd. He began by briefly introducing himself and his podcast, Homemade Stories, as well as the theme for the evening: "Don't Judge Me."

He helped make it clear that this would be a night of acceptance and encouragement for local artists.

"This is about you guys. This is your open mic. This is a chance for you to tell your story," Cason said as participants began writing their names on slips of paper and placing them in a hat for a chance to speak before the group.

"Today's topic is as broad as can be, but know that this is a safe space," Cason said.

One of the first speakers to grace the stage was alumnus James Paisley.

"Don't judge me," he began, "but I really like children's books."

He then proceeded to read The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse by Mac Barnett, even pausing to show the illustrations to the audience.

Next to perform was alumna Jennifer Gilmore.

"Don't judge me. I would like to do something funny tonight, but that's not really my style. I prefer for my poetry to be a platform for voices of sexual assault."

"We are all people with a history or multiple histories, but our common ground is storytelling," Gilmore said.

The audience was supportive of each speaker, whether they discussed issues as serious as sexual assault or something as lighthearted as haircuts, which was the topic of choice for Professor Roy Seeger during the open mic.

Before Seeger read the poem "The Wolf Man's Barber," he said, "I have issues with haircuts. I had a mullet as a child and into my late twenties, so don't judge me."

One of the most moving performances of the evening came from Robert Murphy, the director of USC Aiken's Veteran and Military Student Success Center. The story he told originated from his military experience in Afghanistan.

"During our service, going to sleep was hard because it made us vulnerable, so I thought of memories of my childhood when I felt extremely safe. That helped put me at ease," Murphy said.

Murphy told a story of riding in the family car as a boy with his dad behind the wheel.

"I remember that secure peace I felt that I could never replicate without my dad driving. It was just like when my mom wiped my forehead when I was sick or when I walked to school alongside my older brothers. Forty years later, I have yet to feel that kind of security again."

Murphy wanted to remember that story. He said it was in his heart for years, but he finally put it down on paper in 2001. Then, in 2009, his story was printed in a Georgia newspaper. Murphy's father had the story framed, an artifact Murphy proudly showed to the audience as he told his story.

This event marked an "incredible beginning" to April, which is National Poetry Month. More than a dozen participants of various backgrounds and artistic mediums participated in the Storytelling Open Mic.

Those who participated believed the people of Aiken County have a great deal to say, and this was an opportunity for them to have their stories heard.