Poet Fenia G. Discusses What to Anticipate at Spittoon's 10th Anniversary Celebration

      This Thursday (May 29) at 8pm, the Spittoon Literary Collective will be marking its 10th anniversary at Celestial with an array of music, storytelling, fiction readings, poetry, improv, and open mic acts. The open mic segment will be hosted by the versatile artist, singer, and poet Fenia G, who is a well-known figure in the Beijing arts community.

      In anticipation of the event, we spoke with Fenia to gain insight into what the night will entail.

      You’ll be hosting the open mic part of the evening. Can you share more about that? I’ll be hosting the second half of the Spittoon event; Anthony Tao will be hosting the first half. My portion is going to be focused more on poetry and open mic, which I’ve been engaged in quite a lot recently in Beijing. It has shifted a bit from singing to more of me utilizing my poetry, spoken word, voice, and some improv for my performance. That’s how this came about.

      How did the theme of "Beijing" come to be? The "Beijing" theme originated from Anthony, but I completely understand and agree with it because this is a significant celebration for Spittoon, and Beijing plays a major part in that.

      What do you envision for the night? What should attendees expect? For the segment I’m hosting, I envision an audience that is curious, open, and ready to participate, as I know it can be daunting to read poetry in front of an audience. The idea of performing not just solo but with musicians accompanying you might feel a bit intimidating.

      This event has some similarities to Spit-tunes, Spittoon’s poetry and music collaboration series, but it’s different. There will be different participants, a distinct vibe, and a broader audience that encourages improvisation. The emphasis will be on poetry and music, with all performances accompanied by music to elevate them.

      How did you become involved in Spittoon’s birthday celebration? I got involved because I invited Anthony to an event I hosted called "Music Meets Poetry." The band Fiaba is a fantastic group; I’ve sung with them in another band called Spirit Rebellious, and now they have this new indie project as just the three of them. Their approach to music carries an experimental and improvisational quality. It inspired me to feel confident enough to co-host this event with them.

      Anthony also felt the vibe of what we were doing when I invited him. I had people come up to read their poetry, and as they read, we would provide the band with an emotion to set the atmosphere for the poet. It didn’t require any specific skill from the poet; they just needed to read. But if they connected with the music, it made their performance even more powerful! I think that aspect was appealing to Anthony and led him to ask if I would co-host. At that time, I was also hosting and encouraging people to feel comfortable with their abilities.

      What are you most looking forward to about the night? Honestly, I'm excited about hearing new voices and pieces! I'm also eager to hear some familiar pieces – past voices – presented in a fresh way. One thing I found pleasantly surprising with Fiaba during the previous event was their ability to adapt to the performer’s mood while delivering their poem. I had experience with them before, so I knew what it felt like for me, but I wasn’t sure how it would go for others. Often, in different art forms, elements can clash. However, that wasn’t the case here. Both the poets and the band worked together harmoniously, even without prior knowledge of the poetry. It was a really cool and, I believe, beautiful experience, which I hope will repeat itself!

      What do you wish people will take away from the open mic? When I hosted the previous open mic, I wanted people to feel empowered to participate. I wanted it to be accessible and to demonstrate what they could do on stage, encouraging them to become comfortable with the musicians and vice versa to create something engaging and interactive together. I think it went well last time, so I’m hoping for something similar this time, possibly even more so given the "Beijing" theme. I'm excited to see what people will bring to the table, with this one focal point we all can share.

      This sounds incredibly thrilling, and we’re looking forward to the party! One final question: What does Spittoon signify for you? Personally, Spittoon means a great deal to me because when I was younger, I wrote poetry for expressive reasons, partly inspired by my cousin who wrote poetry. I also wanted to emulate characters from TV who journaled and wrote.

      In a sense, poetry felt juvenile until the pandemic when I began attending poetry and arts events and realized that poetry is indeed an adult medium for expressing culture, beliefs, emotions, and insecurities. Entering the Spittoon space felt very accepting and inclusive

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