By Maureen Wilson —
Literary journal and student organization Illuminati: A Journal of the Arts thrived at the open mic during Oxford’s poetry reading last Friday, April 18th. The event, led by librarian Mark Dahlquist, was part of the “Poetry at Miami” Celebration, which focused on the history of poets at Miami University, in the spirit of National Poetry Month.
Before the readings, several other activities were planned. There was a Maker Poetry Workshop that aided participants in creating buttons, zines, and blackout poetry, and afterwards, student curators Nya Hodge and Anastasija Mladenovska presented their talks in tandem with Poetry at Miami’s digital exhibition.
As the readings began, Nya Hodge served as the afternoon’s MC, introducing The Femellectual to the platform with Olive Abram and Emma Elson as first speakers. After them, Happy Captive, the newest literary magazine out of the four (founded in 2014), was represented solely by Savannah Slater before transitioning to the Illuminati’s cohort.
Illuminati opened with frequent contributor Tyson Jung, who read his poems from the upcoming spring issue, which includes “Afternoon in the Pool on My Day Off Work,” “Moonlit Drunk,” “Wall Math,” ”Milk Pt. 1,” and “Milk Pt. 2.” In typical poetry fashion, the room echoed with occasional snaps—music to any poet’s ears. Tyson had previously won the organization’s 2024 Fall Writing & Art Competition in the art category.
Sean Hopper, president of Illuminati, followed with two poems: “Bubblegum Juice” and “Kerri-Anne’s Mini-Van,” the latter published in the 2024 Spring issue. His refreshingly humorous tone left the audience with all smiles.
Editor Kira Day kept up the lighthearted energy with “Alien Conspiracy Theories,” “No Better Than a Goose,” and “The Pitch.” The first of the three will be published in this spring’s issue. As laughter lingered in the room, Illuminati’s final speaker was announced.
Maureen Wilson, another editor of Illuminati, read “Blink Twice” and “White Lines” to conclude the group’s participation. The mood switched to a more pensive one, which continued into Inkling’s set with Riley Courtney and Nya Hodge.
Throughout the readings, Vice President and Assistant Editor Lindsey Cooley supported the organization from the sidelines. With Illuminati ramping up for their 30th Birthday Bash and Spring Launch on May 1st, this event has only boosted everyone’s confidence.
Thank you to Lindsey Cooley for providing the photos used in this article.