When Grady Moss launched the UO Poet Society this term, he was inspired by the film “The Dead Poet’s Society” to “create a space where creative minds can meet” and share the love of poetry as a community.
Starting a club was “very challenging,” Moss said. He started the process in spring of 2023 and it wasn’t until over a year later that the club was up and running.
Moss used to do open-mic poetry readings around Eugene, and he thought, “UO should have something like this.” After the idea had sparked, Moss began the process of starting the club by talking with Corbett Upton, the Associate Director of the English Department. Upton supported him in finding resources and funding for the club and most importantly, “he told me that this was possible and he gave me that belief,” Moss said.
After he had established the framework for the club, Moss began reaching out to students and gauging their interest in the club on social media and Google Forms. He received 40 responses from people wishing to participate.
The club officially launched in September this year and is now hosting bi-weekly meetings in addition to events to build a sense of community. Moss hopes to continue to “create the foundation and structure of the club” this term. The main goal is to spread the word about the club.
To help boost engagement, the club has two executive officers: the outreach officer and the social media coordinator. As a president, Moss received encouragement from club members as they shared their feedback and appreciation for the space.
Alisha Acireno, UO Poet Society’s outreach officer, met Moss during spring term last year and knew she wanted to be involved in the project. “From the very first time I met Grady, I knew that it would be great because of how passionate he is,” she said.
The club’s first event, an open mic event, was hosted on Oct. 16 at Bartolotti’s Pizza in the EMU. Initially, only 12 people signed up for the event. “I was nervous at first,” Moss said, but when he entered the room “it was packed and some people were even standing,” he said.
Throughout the evening, several poets shared their poems in front of the crowd, and Moss played and sang a song at the end of the event.
“Seeing it come to life after the hard work of creating a club from nothing to something is truly remarkable,” Moss said.
Acireno said she was inspired while helping and attending the event. “Being there made me feel the sense of community coming together,” she said.
As an outreach officer, Acireno hopes to collaborate with other campus organizations for future events. “I am excited to see how this goes,” she said, and she hopes that people will enjoy the time with the club.
Moss shared that his “big goal” for the school year is to host an open mic at the ASUO Street Faire in spring. He hopes to collaborate with ASUO as well as local bands to make it an all-day event.
Moss wants the club to be “consistent and persistent,” and hopes it will provide a “long-time creative space.”
“I want the club to be known,” Moss said, as his main goal for fall term is to get the word out about the club.
To get involved in the UO Poet Society, students can go to The UO Poet Society Engage page and request membership through there. The club’s Instagram, @uopoetsociety, also welcomes direct messages for collaborations and questions about the club.
