A 2018 graduate of Caddo Hills High School, Amanda Jacobs is this week's feature for Wednesday Night Poetry at Kollective Coffee+Tea, 110 Central Ave.
The regular open mic for all poets begins at 6:30 p.m. and Jacobs will perform at 7 p.m., followed by another open mic. Admission is free and open to all ages.
In a news release, Jacobs said she started writing poetry when she was 6 years old. "Mostly I wrote about things that upset me, things I wanted to change. Now what inspires me is how the world is currently turning. Crisis issues like the school shootings, government and the economy in general," she said.
Currently a student at Rich Mountain Community College, Jacobs said one of the things that made her begin writing poetry was when her mother left her family. "Mainly I wrote about what I was going through. The depression, my anxiety, my eating disorders, and the feeling of lack of love on Earth," she said.
Jacobs is engaged to marry another poet, Zayeth Ginn, who was featured last month at WNP. "These two started showing up at Wednesday Night Poetry a few months ago," said host Bud Kenny. "Individually they are both strong voices. When I think of them as a couple I can't help but think of Robert and Elizabeth Browning. They too were undoubtedly a couple, but had strong independent voices."
Some of Jacobs' favorite poets are RK Sinn, Robert Frost and Edgar Allan Poe. "I love his darkness," Jacobs said of Poe. Another poetic influence in her life was the late Keith Franklin, who was a longtime participant at WNP before his death in 2015. "I had him as a teacher, and he encouraged me to express my true self," she said.
Email [email protected] for more information about Wednesday Night Poetry.
Entertainment on 06/12/2018