As an English major, I like to spend a lot of my free time reveling in the arts. I enjoy going to the theater (live and film), taking in a new art museum, and participating in many other artistic ventures. However, there’s one art form that I’d consider to be my favorite: writing. I’ve always loved attending poetry readings or simply listening to others’ works in my creative writing classes. Hearing what people create with their words has always meant so much to me. So in high school, I was interested when my creative writing teacher invited the class to her local literary event by the name of Read Herring.
When my teacher, Ms. Sid, told the class about her monthly literary gathering, I was intrigued from the start. After all, I’m always looking for fun events to attend, especially ones that revolve around creative writing. So, I planned on going. I was excited to hear all of the readings from local writers. The day finally arrived, and that evening, my friend and I drove over to Seminole Heights, ready to experience something novel and fun.
Around 7:45 p.m., we arrived at the Corner Club. The Club itself was a small building, but most of the cars were parked towards the back. There was an open fence, which seemed like the right way to enter, so my friend and I walked inside. Immediately, we were greeted by Ms. Sid, who let us know that we could sit inside or outside, where the readings would be happening. I looked around, and there were multiple tables around a wooden stage surrounded by plants and fairy lights strung from the top. It was a very cute set-up. We walked inside to check out the venue, and there was a table full of board games ready to use along with a foosball table two people were using. We continued forward to find the bar where I was excited to see a food menu — I’m a big fan of eating. We ordered the potstickers and ambled around the inside seating area. Hung all around, were paintings by local artists, including an art teacher from my high school, Jackie Flavio. It was nice to see her featured in such a cool place.
At 8 p.m. we went back outside because the event was officially starting. Ms. Sid and her co-host, Courtney Clute, took the stage, describing how the event would work: There were three readers that night, but between each one, we would all play a game to break up the performances. I really liked this idea since I have trouble focusing for long periods even if I’m truly enjoying something. After she welcomed us, the event began.Â
Right before the first reader took the stage, my potstickers arrived at the table. My friend and I shared them, and they tasted great. I’ll admit I had low expectations considering that they came from a bar, but I was pleasantly surprised. After listening to the first reader, I was so impressed by their work. This remained true for every reader that followed. Everyone was so talented! The games were really fun as well; we played “Guess the Facebook Marketplace prices,” “Is this a Taylor Swift lyric or a Shakespeare quote,” and “Is this subreddit real or fake?”. I truly had fun with each of these, and I was glad they were in between readers so I could maintain my attention span.
Overall, I really enjoyed this event. Read Herring was a nice place to get together with other literature enjoyers, and appreciate creative writing together. I’d say it even appealed to people who aren’t big on literature. My friend who went with me isn’t into reading or writing at all, but he still had a great time. I would definitely recommend Read Herring to anyone who is looking for a good time. The event takes place from 8 to 10 p.m. every third Wednesday at Corner Club in Seminole Heights. Make sure to mark your calendars for the next one in January!