On November 4th and 5th, the Brownwood Middle School Digital Media Center was transformed into “Java Nook”, a coffeehouse poetry club. Windows were blacked out and an entrance was created to the dimly lit “coffee house” complete with decorations, tables, chairs, and a specially lit stage set up in the corner. The coffee house atmosphere included a beautiful sign designed by Moore Printing, “bouncers” furnished by the Brownwood High School Choices program, mood lighting and jazz music.
8th grade English teachers Janna Austin and Brenda Howard, along with Digital Media Specialist Dalin Cummings collaborated on the event, designed to introduce students to the joy of experiencing live poetry performance. “It was one of those ideas that came up suddenly, and just grew from there,” Austin said. “We contacted Kristi Owen at the High School, who was kind enough to let us borrow some decorations from Prom, and Mr. Canon in our Woodshop built and painted a small stage for us that was just beautiful!”
Completing the experience, Austin and Howard introduced themselves as the “Java Nook” owners and improvised their own characters complete with accents to introduce each of the students who were reading poetry. “I really liked it being dark, with the spotlight on the stage,” said student Emma Sharpe. “Some kids wrote some really great poems. Oh, and the teachers used French and Spanish accents that were funny!”
The event featured 8th graders reading either their own poems or their favorites by published poets. Prominently displayed along the back wall of the “club” were various posters displaying poetry selections from students that chose not to read on stage.
The “Java Nook” lived up to it’s name on Friday, utilizing a special nutritional “waiver day”, that allowed students to enjoy coffee, hot chocolate, cookies, and fresh scones prepared by Anne Costa and her home economics classes at BMS.
“We had been discussing the fact that poetry readings in public, sometimes called ‘Slams’, were gaining popularity again,” Howard said. “Since our curriculum guide this year called for poetry to be covered during October instead of in the Spring, we decided to give the coffee house idea a try.”
Pictured above: Brownwood Middle School student Cheyenne Darneal reads poetry at the Digital Media Center (Library) turned coffee house. Photo contributed.
