Poet in Residence
Writers' Block Open Mic Poetry Night : Every Wednesday @ 8:00 pm

The Writers’ Block Poetry Night strongly supports the development of poets through writing, performance and engagement within a strong artistic community dynamic. In aid of these values, we appoint a Poet in Residence on a bi-monthly basis. Poets chosen for this position are active and working artists expected to augment the efforts of the poets around them through the composition, sharing and development of new original work and performances. Poets in Residence share two new pieces per week during their residency at each Wednesday Writers’ Block Poetry Night as well as most First Draft Open Mics. The Poet in Residence also provides a 1-hour workshop on the last Wednesday of their tenure prior to their last show appearance.   March 5, 12, 19 and 26. The March 2014 Poet-In-Residence is John "JG the Jugganaut" Gibson. JG has been a member of the 2013 Writing Wrongs National Poetry Slam team (which attained the semi-finals stage), the 2011 Writers' Block Poetry Night National Poetry Slam team and the 2011 Writers' Block Rustbelt Poetry Slam team. He earned a slot in the 2013 Columbus Arts Festival Poetry stage through a juried application and audition process and was hand-selected to perform at the 2013 Sheddin' event. In additional to a rigorous national touring schedule, he curates a weekly show in Columbus called The Ness and remains one of the best show-creating poets in town. He has created two spoken word CDs. JG sent the following for his bio: John Gibson never really wanted a stage name but he is the 227th most popular John Gibson on Google. That level of internet anonymity led him to create a villainous alter ego (JG The Jugganaut) to bring shame to his parents as revenge for their lack of nomenclature creativity. It hasn’t worked though. He writes poems that some people like. Others swear he is a rapper. He’s performed a few places, won a few awards and slams and stuff like that. When is he not trying to find new ways to be a linguistic super villain, he imitates the late, great, Gerald Levert to delight of R&B lovers everywhere.