42 | April 2018
W
A R T S
WHETHER YOU'VE LIVED in Fayetteville for years or
just moved here, you've probably wondered at times about
what there is to do here for arts and entertainment.
Of course, there are parks, movies, local nightlife and
more. But when it comes to the arts, I'll let you in on a
little, but also BIG secret: Fayetteville is home to one of the
largest poetry and spoken words scenes in the state of North
Carolina.
Don't believe me? Numerous events and major players in
the area can tell you otherwise.
To get a better understanding of how deeply this art runs
in Fayetteville, let's talk about the place where it all started:
e Coffee Scene.
Every Sunday night the coffeehouse on Morganton Road
hosts Java Expressions. Monday nights, it hosts Java Jams.
Both are open-mic venues for poets and other spoken-word
performers. At 20 years and counting, Java Expressions is
believed to be the longest-running poetry open-mic venue
not just in Fayetteville, but in the entire state. Over the
years, it has come to be known as a sanctuary for all poets,
STEP UP TO THE MIC
BY LEJUANE "EL'JA" BOWENS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATTHEW WONDERLY
"Poetry is what happens when nothing else can."
– Charles Bukowski
"It's like
peeping into
the soul of a
person that
wants to be
heard but is
afraid to let
you in."
– El'Ja Bowens
