Vegas poet wants locals to take the mic

The Las Vegas Poets Organization helps facilitate poetry readings at open mic events around the Las Vegas area. (David Stroud/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Co-host Vogue Robinson, left, introduces Battle Born Slam team member Rachel Dexter during "Words in Motion," an open mic night at the Wild restaurant in the Ogden, 150 Las Vegas Blvd. North, on Thursday, June 19, 2014. (Bill Hughes/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Jorge Santiago steps up to the microphone, grips it with his right hand and lets the words of his poem “Hypnotic” flow.

As an artist, Santiago has used various outlets around town to perform his poetry and grow his craft.

As president of the Las Vegas Poets Organization, he is now trying to inspire other local talent to do the same.

About 10 years ago, the organization was created to help those looking for an outlet to cultivate their art form.

Santiago was inspired by former Las Vegas poet Danna Nordin to make the valley’s poetry scene better.

“I would look through CityLife and the (Las Vegas) Weekly and notice it was hard to find poetry readings around town,” Santiago says.

Today, Santiago says the Las Vegas Poets Organization has more than 800 members subscribed to its Meetup site.

It encourages any member who wants to start a poetry reading around town to do so. The group, which tweets @lasvegaspoetsdotorg, sends out information about all the happenings, trying to keep people connected.

“I wanted to create a central hub,” Santiago says.

Las Vegas Poets Organization has been featured at First Friday, the Vegas Valley Book Festival and Nevada Poetry Out Loud.

But each week the group helps facilitate poetry readings such as Seldom Seen Poets at Sunrise Coffee, Painters and Poets at the Arts Factory and Drink and Draw at Blackbird Studios.

Human Experience, another open mic night, started in 2008 to invite poets, comedians, singers and other aspiring artists, out to share their creations.

Every Monday night, people file into The Beat Coffeehouse to listen and if they choose, to share a piece of themselves with the crowd.

Vogue Robinson, a poet who helps organize within the poetry scene, said people come to the art form for different reasons, from wanting to impress a boy to needing to express an emotion.

When Robinson moved to Las Vegas almost two years ago, she was faced with the decision to become more open with sharing her poetry.

She has since been immersed in the movement.

About a year ago, Robinson started hosting another open mic night called Words in Motion, which meets Thursdays at Wild inside the Ogden.

“People are really encouraging, which is really good for poets,” Robinson says.

It is around town, in coffee shops, restaurants and bookstores, that Robinson says poets can truly express who they are.

“We all have different jobs during the day,” Robinson says. “But at night, we transform into who we really are as performers. It’s like Clark Kent ripping off his shirt to become Superman.”

Being in the group has also been nurturing for Santiago.

“I’ve learned a lot about myself,” he says.

Before taking the microphone, Santiago would always get nervous. Being a part of the group has been helpful to give him encouragement to perform.

He doesn’t perform as much as he used to, though.

“I like to be behind the scenes,” he says. “I don’t like the spotlight.”

But he invites others to try it.

During the past decade, poets have worked to expand the literary scene in other ways.

In 2008, Santiago created an arts and literary magazine called VIM: Vegas Poetry + Culture to talk about local artists and poets and feature their works.

Beyond the valley’s open mics, some poets are taking their talents to the next level with the Battleborn Slam poetry team.

Robinson was one of six Las Vegans to go to the National Poetry Slam competition in August.

She says slam poetry started as a gimmick to get people more interested in poetry.

It also helps artists think about how they go about reading their works and being more intentional with tone and a rhythm.

“It makes you practice and pay attention to the audience,” Robinson says.

For the past few years, valley poets have traveled to national poetry competitions to perform.

Santiago says the organization is working to bring the National Poetry Slam to Las Vegas.

“We might be a few years away, but we are making strides,” he says. “Our first step is to try to get a regional competition here.”

Santiago says the poetry scene’s future looks bright in Las Vegas.

Robinson says Las Vegas is home to wonderful entertainers and artists. She thinks because of them, Las Vegas could become a city known for its poets.

For those trying to get involved, Robinson says a good first step is to join the Meetup group to learn where events are around town.

With many options on poetry readings, she adds people should find the right one for them.

“It’s like finding a church,” she says. “Some people think certain churches aren’t for them. If a group doesn’t fit you well, try a new group until you find the right fit.”

The next step: come and listen.

“It’s like the more you read, the better a writer you become,” Robinson says. “The more you listen to other people, the more it helps you. I’ve known people who come and sit for years before they get the courage to perform.”

Contact reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5201. Follow @mjlyle on Twitter.