Curating Poetry at County Clare

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Photo courtesy Amanda Reavey

Amanda Reavey

Amanda Reavey

Amanda Reavey is the founder of Tabi Po! Poetry and Open Mic at County Claire Irish Pub in Milwaukee. I am happy to know of her work, because it explores human nature and self-discovery.

How did you start up Tabi Po Poetry?

Tabi Po! Poetry Series & Open Mic took about five or so years to come into fruition. I had wanted to start a poetry series at County Clare Irish Pub for quite some time and have been talking with the establishment. Finally, in May 2022, I was given the green light and held my first event in June of 2022 featuring poet Seth Copeland and we hold an event every third Sunday of the month at 3 p.m. It grew organically and by word of mouth. Eventually, I built a website and started a literary magazine. It can be found at tabipopoetry.com.

What are your roles there?

I curate the poetry series, MC the event and update the website, including creating all the graphics. I basically run the whole thing on my own. County Clare Irish Pub gives me the space and my boyfriend, Erik Gosnell, bass guitarist for the band Genau, brings the mic and the amps.

Has it been well-received?

There is often standing room only. And the open mic keeps growing. Last time we had to limit the open mic to 1 poem per person (rather than 5 minutes per person) since 16 people had signed up. Attendees include community poets, poets who are part of the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets, and poets in the PhD program at UWM.

You also created RestoryNation. Tell us about it.

RestoryNation is about rediscovering one's origin story through ethnoautobiography. Ethnoautobiography is “defined as creative writing (and/or oral presentation) that grounds itself in the ethnic, cultural, historical, ecological, and gender self-exploration of the author.” It is a resistance poetics and a practice in re-membering and re-calling of our “long body.” It is a method of decolonization, reclamation and cultural revalidation. It is also about reciprocity. Through the project, I offer workshops and individual coaching.

When did you realize you had the gift for writing poetry?

I've been writing since 2nd grade. My first notebook was a loose -eaf paper stapled together. I would find four leaf clovers and tape them inside. I've always loved creative writing, especially poetry. I don't think I viewed it as having a gift for poetry until much later when it was noticed by my professor in my MFA program. I had written a short story and send along process notes. The process notes read more like a poem. She tore up the short story and put it in a State Farm insurance envelope and said my process notes were my real writing. That's how I became a poet.

How does poetry uplift and help you with your everyday life?

I think poetry gets past the thinking brain and into the emotional heart. It tugs and inspires. For a long time, I carried “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver in my back pocket. She wrote, “You do not have to be good ...” and that was so important for me because I'm such a perfectionist.

What advice would you give a wanna-be poet?

Read widely: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essays. Observe everything. Learn the names of things. And write write, write. Don't worry about it being “good.” In fact, write a lot of crap and then take a highlighter to it and circle the lines that resonate, that contain energy. And use that as your first line.

For more information visit tabipopoetry.com and restorynation.com.