Northern Arizona University’s student voice since 1914 Vol. 116, Arts Issue | October 27, 2023 — December 8, 2023
FEATURES
The solidarity in spoken word poetry MAKAYLA RICHARDSON
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he artistry Flagstaff is known for extends to the poets walking the streets downtown and echoes through the words of their spoken performances. Open mics designed to provide space for local poets to showcase their work in different venues throughout the city occur on a weekly basis. With events hosted by at least four groups each month, poets have their choice of performance locations, each with its own goals and presenting styles. In the spring, two open mic-style performances began, giving poets and audiences the opportunity to experience slam poetry. Each event was started to enhance the poetry community and provide a new environment in Flagstaff’s poetry scene. Margarita Cruz is the host and founder of Poet Brews, which opened in March. Poet Brews is hosted at Flagstaff Brewing Company every Tuesday at 7 p.m. and is only open to those over the age of 21 or minors with parental supervision. Cruz said she wanted to start Poet Brews because she missed Juniper House Readings — an open mic that recently closed — and noticed a need for something similar. “I wanted to see people read their work again,” Cruz said. “I think that there’s so much value in telling stories, sharing your
own stories and experiences and perspectives.” She became involved in the local literary community in 2017. Since then, Cruz has worked with the Northern Arizona Book Festival (NOAZBF), which highlights local writers. Cruz said it was at NOAZBF she fully understood the importance of having public places to share work. Starting Poet Brews is how Cruz feels she contributes to supporting local writers, she said. However, running this event comes with roadblocks. Many people are still hesitant about attending gatherings in-person and the age limit for the venue minimizes how many NAU students can attend. To Cruz, Poet Brews is about more than drawing a large crowd. She said she believes poetry is lifesaving because it saved her own. In March 2020, Cruz underwent an unexpected heart surgery. While in the hospital processing the shock of a major surgery, her friends would visit and read poetry to her. She said this inspired her to write one poem every day. Today, Cruz continues to write poems that cover the topics of grief and medical humanities to help her process the surgery. “The more I read it out loud, the more I’m able to connect to people who are also feeling these things, which makes me feel a lot less alone,” Cruz said. “I hope it
makes other people feel like they can say these things too.” Poets can attend various performances downtown to read their work in different environments and spread word of additional events in the area, Cruz said. One of the events Cruz has read her work at is the open mic at Awa Kava Bar. The Awa Kava Bar poetry night is an indoor event that begins between 7 and 8 p.m. every Monday. Lily MacNab, the organizer of the event, first hosted this open mic in April. She begins each event by reading one of her poems from behind the bar and then offers the microphone to anyone in attendance. MacNab said the energy at her event is very laidback. “It’s chill,” MacNab said. “It’s not scored or judged. If you want to come try your poetry or song lyrics, just come hang out.” What contributes to the laidback energy is how the open mic is conducted. After MacNab speaks, whoever raises their hand the fastest gets to perform next. This continues until each poet has read the work they prepared for the night. Performers can take a turn more than once, and there are no requirements for the type of work performed. MacNab said she wanted her reading to be one with low stakes to provide a different experience than more formal Junior Amy Beeler reads a poem sent to her by a friend at Awa Kava Bar’s events. Open Poetry night in downtown Flagstaff, Oct. 2. See SOLIDARITY on PAGE 17 Victoria Medina | The Lumberjack
CULTURE
Unraveling the story behind Crochet louie BRISA KAROW DAISY JOHNSTON
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Top: Junior Carly Ray, the crocheter behind Louie the Lumberjack’s new wardrobe, stands in front of the bronze statue outside University Union, Sept. 28. Ray’s creations have appeared on Louie since December 2022, earning the statue the nickname “Crochet Louie.” Bottom: Carly Ray climbs up on the pedestal the Louie the Lumberjack statue stands on to fix his crocheted sweater vest, Sept. 28. Louie wore the piece for months, and it has stretched out since Ray first dressed him in it in August. Brisa Karow | The Lumberjack
epresentation of the NAU mascot has undergone a plethora of transformations since becoming Louie the Lumberjack in 1988. His style has ranged from cartoonish, lean, mean and hipster. Now, the bronze version of Louie outside the University Union wears a new hat. Or was it a bikini? The well-trafficked Louie the Lumberjack statue has sported a collection of outfits since December 2022. However, they were not part of an NAU-sanctioned fashion collection to spice up Louie’s style. Endeavors of an anonymous crafter on campus ushered in Crochet Louie, a new persona for the decades-old statue. The crocheted pieces were handmade by an exercise physiology student at NAU looking for a way to express her creative side. What started as dressing Louie on a whim has become a yarn bombing effort going on three semesters. While yarn bombing can be a show of activism, junior Carly Ray’s intentions were merely for enjoyment — her anonymity part of the ruse. With a busy schedule, Ray
ended up installing the first Louie look late at night at the only convenient time for her. The timing and method were not intended to become the norm, sneaking up to the statue at night to dress him. “It accidentally became this nighttime vigilante makeover,” Ray said. The next morning, people first saw Louie donning a chunky scarf. The look lasted a few weeks before someone took it down, and Ray never saw it again. Ray has been crocheting for around three years, but she began the Louie line when her brother’s girlfriend gifted her chunky yarn typically used for blanket making. Ray turned to a scarf, using a hook that was about the size of her hand to craft it. She said when it was finished, it was comically large — large enough, perhaps, for a statue. “I didn’t mean for it to become a recurring thing,” Ray said. “I thought it was just going to be a one-time thing, and it was so fun, so I kept doing it.” The proportions of the scarf fit Louie quite well, she said, although she had not taken any measurements. Even now, Ray eyeballs her projects, working off the dimensions of past projects — which fit each time, save some of Louie’s hats. A measurement of his head might be called for,
she said. The yarn she sources, much of it from thrift stores, and the patterns she uses allow for the projects to stretch to Louie’s crafted physique — one that garnered more attention when Ray displayed her next project. In April, Louie’s half-naked figure was covered with a bright pink bikini. A more revealing piece, the bikini was taken down within the day. Ray fashioned another bikini of even smaller proportions from the yarn she had left. The latter lasted even less time than the first. A labor of love She said with each project she hoped to go bigger, taking on larger patterns each time. Ray’s closest circle became part of the installments, her taller friends helping to place pieces over the 8-foot-tall statue. For sweaters, she connects two granny square panels by straps, leaving the sides unconnected. On location, she gives Louie a proper tailoring and sews him into the pieces. Other projects, like hats or Yoda ears for May the 4th, require less work.
See CROCHET LOUIE on PAGE 9