Where Vivid Narratives Live

Once again, the Austin Writers Roulette hit the scene with an energetic and fresh line up for our first show of 2013. Teresa Y. Roberson opened the show with her list of resolutions, but not the usual cliche of promises. One thing she resolved to do was send a medical book to conservative male politicians who don’t quite understand female anatomy and reproduction.

Next up, Nelson Guda shared moving poetry snippets from his travels to such political hotspots as Kashmir, Rwanda and Kenya for his Enemies Project.

Awesmic City Cafe host, Anyah Dishon, briefly explained Austin’s newest holiday that she created, Awesmic City Day that was first celebrated on 12-12-12 in recognition of the “awesmic” benefits of the arts in Austin.

Singer-songwriter, Jack McCabe first read a poem about the OCCUPY movement then sang his original composition, “Occupy Your World,” followed by his catchy “The La La Song.” Special guest, Dana McBride, accompanied him.

During his segment, Jaime Torres, first played his original composition on guitar while an image of a picture that he took was projected.  Superimposed on the image was a poem that expressed his experience of the dreamlike image.

The ever-rhythmic poetry train, Tbird, exuded a twisting stream of powerful images about her dream of a polar bear and the political ramifications involved with this majestic creature’s survival.

Closing out the show in a foot-stomping, groovy spoken word was “The Strangest Brew” Thom. Although Thom has a penchant for changing his name, he brought the same musical improvisation that has made him famous in the Austin poetry scene. Anyah provided back up vocals while Jack and Dana provided guitar melodies.

For our upcoming February 10th event, The Austin Writers Roulette presents “Cupid’s Naughty Secrets.”

Before the show officially began, singer-songwriter-poets, Dana McBride and “Magic” Jack did a 5-song sound check, which ended in a whistle-the-Andy-Griffin-show-theme-song-competition!

The first sensuous poem that Dana read was about a man she wanted to make love to her and was accompanied by Magic Jack. Dana read a few other poems from her “Ode to the Muse” collection.

After being introduced as a man who didn’t know the meaning of the word “impotence,” Magic Jack read a cute poem about his first date when he was 4, followed by a hilarious poem about how stories about other people’s love-lives were boring.

Nelson Guda read a series of short poems about the wildness of night and sexy pursuit. 

The poetic freight train, Tbird, opened with Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 then riffed her modern raunchy ode to a man.

Teresa Y. Roberson shared her unscientific survey she took about oral sex turnoffs in an essay called “How Men Blow Fellatio.”

Thom the Worldpoet announced to the entire audience that he loved them like chocolate-dipped strawberries and sang a song about said delectable dessert.

In between artists, host Teresa read sex-based trivia questions, which she recapped at the end of the show, revealing the answers. The winner, with 7 out of 10 correct answers, was Zaka, who excitedly claimed, ” I knew having all that sex would eventually pay off!”  She’s now the proud owner of a Tribe of One book and Tshirt.

Next roulette is Sunday, March 10th from 4-6 and the theme is “Serendipity and Spontaneity.”

Once again, The Austin Writers Roulette spun another entertaining show full of spontaneity, serendipity and synchronicity.

Before the show officially began, host, Teresa Y. Roberson, circulated four of her paintings along with post-it notes among the audience. She requested that they look at each of the paintings, write the first thing that thought of and stick it to the cardboard that the paintings were mounted on.

 Dana McBride opened the show, drumming out some “cooked” words inspired by spontaneity and synchronicity.

Magic Jack touched the romantic in all of us by sharing his tale about how ill-fated circumstances during a train trip to visit a friend ruined his intended vacation, but afforded him to meet his future wife. (She apparently has her version of their chance meeting, but didn’t care to share it.) 

April Davis shared two vacation stories of her own. The first consisted of 8 stylish black and white photos on a poster board and the second was bound in one of her photobooks with a mesmerizing story she created from a trip to Illinois.

Awesmic City Cafe host, Anyah Dishon made her debut has a guitarist, singing about newfound love. Then followed with a nature poem about peace.

Our favorite anthropologist, Donna Dechen Birdwell, shared another story about her travels to Belize, which she said were “true, but not factual.” This latest edition was about how a man had encountered lightning and found religion.

Tbird launched us into her world where vivid characters and staccato onamonapia met, sprinkled with sexual innuendo seasoning.

Teresa Y. Roberson gathered her four paintings from the audience and read the spontaneous poems that she wrote about them, followed by the collected spontaneous comments that were attached to them.

Bringing the show to a close, Thom the World Poet threw a handful of plastic shaker eggs to the audience so they could improv music as he read a medley of theme-based poems. Thom invited musicians Magic Jack and Anyah on stage while musician Dana helped open the dance floor.

Afterwards, a few of us met up at a nearby restaurant and continued our free-flowing lively conversation.

Please join The Austin Writers Roulette on Sunday, April 14th when we conduct our cathartic “Spring Cleaning: Getting rid of bad jobs/habits/relationships!”

Since April is National Poetry Month, our first Rouletter of the evening, Thom the World Poet, passed out plastic shaker eggs so the audience could join musicians Dana McBride and Magic Jack ATX in providing theme music for his medley of poetry about things we all need to reuse, recycle or repurpose before dashing off to his next venue out of five!

Singer-songwriter Dana McBride tantalized us with a poem about a long-haired drummer who she had to tuck away and eventually recycle to pursue the other passions in her life.

Our next singer-songwriter Magic Jack ATX encouraged us to leave the past behind and embrace the present.

Gifted storyteller Donna Dechen Birdwell first shared her facial spring cleaning story about undoing the damage of sunbathing as a youth now that she’s in her 60s. She followed up with another Belize excerpt, involving cleaning up the aftermath of sister-in-law dispute.

Zaka entertained the crowd with vivid snippets of different characters voices, ridding themselves of bad situations.

Making both her public and Rouletter debut (and budding slam poet), Sarah Kennon moved the audience with a poignant piece about losing her best friend.

Occasional poet, Teresa Y. Roberson read a poem she quilted together from different aspects of the stresses in her life that needed to be cleaned up.

The evening closed with Magic Jack and Dana McBride doing their rendition of The Coaster’s “Take Out the Papers and the Trash.” The audience happily joined in on the “Don’t Talk Back!” McBride then freestyled her own “clean up your act” lyrics and invited audience members to join in with their own lyrics–of course the improv queen, Zaka, took up the challenge!

Please join us for our next Roulette, “Dedicated to Divas,” Sunday, May 12th, which will celebrate the powerful mothers, grandmothers, aunts…any woman who taught us unforgettable life lessons.

This Roulette was a celebration of Mother’s Day aka The Divas.

Opening the show, Magic Jack ATX, dispelled myths and revered the mystical nature of motherhood in his two poems, “Cracks in the Sidewalk” and “Women Must Be Pleased.”

Making his Roulette debut, Michael Kennon, shared the age-old battle with vegetables his mother insisted that he eat in “I’m a T-Rex or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Plants.” As a special treat, his mom was in the audience!

Another Roulette newbie, Josh Matimore, chronicled his journey with his mother one summer that was her version of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance in “Beep Beep Hum Beep Beep.”

Zaka spun a humorous Pollock (her word, which she claimed wasn’t racist!) tale, proving that some diva mothers are braver than Rambo.

Gracing the Roulette stage for the first time, Maddy Stephens, reminded us that when kids don’t get the mothering they need from their biological mother, they’ll seek the mothers in us all in a piece called “Children.”

Teresa Y. Roberson first read “Gone Fishin’” a poem she wrote when her maternal grandmother had passed. Then she read “Thirty Sixty Ninety,” which were the ages she, her mother and maternal grandmother turned in 2000 and drew parallels among the three generations of women.

As a special treat, the Rouletters had a 20-minute open mike session where Zaka and Michael showed off their singing talent. Special audience guests, Erin and  Irrational Zack also performed.

Self-described “closet poet,” Sangye O’Mara spoke briefly about her sensuous painting that showed the divine mother in everyone with Eastern aspects of the snake in the garden.

Fashionably late, but still cosmically on-time, Thom the World Poet, breezed in, passing out poetry gifts, including the upcoming feminist poetry festival before free-styling funny Mother’s Day stories.

For this month’s theme, hostess, Teresa Y. Roberson pulled out all the stops, and rented a Supergirl costume to celebrate Fathers’ Day–a week early!

Speaking of celebrations, our wonderful venue also celebrated their 4th anniversary with cake, BBQ and beer.

During soundcheck, an audience member and hopefully future Rouletter helped Magic Jack and Teresa.

Newcomer to the Roulette, Elizabeth Schami, claimed that she couldn’t find her costume, but she made a lovely “Clarkette Kent.”

And dressed up as Who-Knows-What, Zaka brought her creative energy.

 Magic Jack artfully told us the brief history of Superman, both real and fictionalized.

Elizabeth reminded us of the heroic men who step up to raise us.

Sarah Kennon shared a poem about how children never outgrow the need for their first hero, their father.

Teresa drew parallels between the famous Superman and the real Superman, her father, both born in 1938.

Our event closed on a sentimental note. Elizabeth and Magic Jack sang a Dana McBride/Magic Jack ATX original composition, “This Is Your Heartbeat, This Is Your Breath.” Dana was scheduled to perform, but due to unforeseen circumstances, she was not able to make it. They dedicated the song to her. 

Even audience members helped sing.

For extra fun, there was an impossible 10-question Superman trivia quiz–except one audience member actually knew two answers! Dave, who has been sporting a Superman pendant for awhile and wore an X-men T-shirt, won the prizes.

Join the Austin Writers Roulette July 14th for its “Personal Triump” roulette.

For the 1st anniversary show, The Austin Writers Roulette shared their war stories.

Sarah Kennon opened the show with a poem that gave strategies of surviving the battlefield of love.

Maddy Stephens painted a haunting picture of a life torn apart and rebuilt.

Joyce Collins made her roulette debut, reading poems from her The Way of Reckoning book, which dealt with her recovered childhood memories of incest. She also led the audience in a “Princess Bride” moment when she asked them if they could recite the famous line, “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” 

Also making her roulette debut, Stephanie Webb, descended from her conquered mountains to detail her enlightenments for the audience’s listening pleasure.

Teresa Y. Roberson shared her belief that regardless of whether Amazons existed or not, Amazons are among us in the form of fiercely independent heterosexual women who refuse to be wives and mothers.

Thom the World Poet spun an adventurous tale about hitchhiking on the hippie trail in Australia.

Arriving on a strong wind toward the end of the roulette, Anyah Dishon proudly showed off her Peruvian staff that she earned on a transformative hike. At the conclusion of which, she stated, “Help arrives when you no longer need it.”

After the seven features read, the mic was open for another round of “triumphant” poetry for some of the features and guests poets in the audience.

Joyce Collins

Birdman 313

Michael Kennon

Sarah Kennon

“Roulette Thom”

Brent Porter

Jaime

If you’d like to read for the upcoming August 11th “Chance Encounters” roulette, please send your submission by Wednesday, August 7th.

The Austin Writers Roulette presented shared their varied experiences with Chance Encounters.

Sarah Kennon, who looks like an angel until she speaks, went through the ABCs of her tangled web of relationships, followed by a fiery tango with her dream girl.

Corey Deiterman went off script and speculated what the mathematical probability of two people out of seven billion meeting was, then told us about finding into the woman of his infatuation in a crowd of 500 people and meeting one of his creative heroes, Leonard Cohen.

Continuing the theoretical physics of chance encounters, Michael Kennon speculated the meaning of it all, based on his first scientific true love, astronomy.

Magic Jack ATX first read about his chronicles with an assortment of interesting people from bishops to party girls.

Then he sang about his random adventures based on his travels on the Royal Gorge Railroad.

Adding to the fun, the audience sang along!

Jaime Torres captured an eerie Edgar Allan Poe-esque encounter in his acrostic poem.

Josh Matimore started off by quoting Bob Dylan then read the opening chapter of his short story, concerning a young man who wears a different mask, depending on who he meets.

Anyah Dishon entertained the crowd with her explanation that “alien” encounters should be more accurately called “cosmic cultures” encounters.

Sangye O’Mara read a poignant excerpt about learning who her father truly was after his funeral.

Teresa Y. Roberson shared her experiences with the calamity that ensues whenever she changes countries.

Wandering World Poet Thom, accompanied by Magic Jack ATX, sang a summary of the people he’s met along his journey through life, stating that he didn’t grow up…he was beat up.

 September 8th’s theme is “Dreams of Other Worlds.” Please send your sci-fi, fantasy and/or altered mind experiences by September 4th.

For September’s theme, The Austin Writers Roulette read science fiction, fantasy and altered-mind dreaming.

Sarah Kennon shared a lovely letter written to her from her cat.

Magic Jack ATX reported that “the future shock is old news.”

Sangye O’Mara painted an interesting picture of being in the desert and explained her brand of dreaming.

David Davila made his roulette debut by taking us back to that idyllic time in the Garden of Eden.

Teresa Y. Roberson read the opening of chapters 1 and 4 from her current WIP, The Adventures of Infinity & Negativa.

She also brought the storyboard canvases of those two chapters.

During the 5-minute break, the audience was treated to guest appearance by Dana McBride who sang and clapped her shoes along with Magic Jack. Afterwards, the open mic began.

Michael Kennon

Sarah Kennon

Magic Jack ATX

Birdman 313

After the open mic, Thom the World Poet breezed in to sing a menagerie of other worldliness, accompanied by Magic Jack ATX.

For October’s theme, please join us for “Spooky.” If you have something spookier than host Teresa’s medical boot, wear it!  Interested in being a feature? Please submit your work by Wednesday, October 9th.

Our beloved venue decorated beautifully, which enhanced October’s “Spooky” theme.

The Rouletters braved the after effects of torrential rains to share their Spooky tales.

Host Teresa Y. Roberson completed her Avenging Angel costume with much needed boot because nothing, not the weather or broken ankles will stop the Roulette!

Before the show, the audience looked at a mini poster and wrote down what they thought the image in the black spot appeared to be to them.

All the way from Houston, Birdman 313 spun a haunting tale about the one who is after us all in “The Hunt Is On.”

Corey Deiterman detailed the anxieties of being a horror writer, besides being Jewish, in “The Life of a Horror Writer.”

Sangye O’Mara started off with a short piece of what she’d do if she could and then continued the unofficial “death and nightmare” sub themes by examining the ramifications of The Four Noble Truths.

Christina Ceballos read a tale that resonated with the entire audience about how she got her guardian angel.

Daniel Davila, affected by Christina’s short story, shared a moving remembrance about his daughter before telling us the complete, erotic story of La Llorona.

Teresa asked an audience member to read out the guesses of what people thought was in the black spot. People saw the Milky Way, a swirl of storm, the Eye of God, an ear, a galaxy, an egg, and a bullet hole.

Teresa then shared her essay, “The Eye of God,” with the audience and stated that it was amazing that no one had guessed “vagina.”

Louise Richardson commenced the open mic portion of the night with a chilling poem from the perspective an abused child.

Birdman 313 read two more poems, dedicating one to his mother who would have been 100 this year.

David Young aka “Ben Franklin” made his roulette debut.

Izzy made her roulette debut with a spooktacular short story.

Corey riffed about his worst Halloween ever in 2008.

Special guest appearance by DJ Cabrini Green who closed the show with an improved Halloween riff.

Host Teresa invited the audience to be a part of the November 10th “Contemplation and Activism” roulette.