Special Announcements
Zoom Meeting Tips / Call for Submissions / New Traditions Cafe
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During this uncertain time dealing with Covid-19 and its impact upon us all, OPN will use this page to communicate to the public and our members about poetic concerns and online events. Please check back frequently. |
Zoom Meeting Tips
OPN is committed to the health and well-being of our members, and as such is moving some of our activities online. We are offering online Open Mic events, Featured Readings by established poets, a Writing Group and are planning Writing Workshops for our members and invited guests. Since all these meetings will be held on the Zoom platform, we thought it best to offer a few tips for best Zoom practice, in order to help our membership navigate this recent technology. We hope you'll join us for the growing list of Virtual OPN Experiences!
- Make sure you have decent bandwidth: This just means that you have a good WIFI signal to your device (tablet, smartphone or computer). We also recommend that during meetings you have other devices turned off. Bandwidth (reception) drops significantly if someone else in your house is playing a video game while you are trying to attend or participate in a meeting. Compromised bandwidth can express itself with "glitchy" video and audio, or even losing signal altogether. Zoom recommends also turning off all other programs on your device, and even restarting it before the meeting, especially if it's been a while since you last did so.
- Have the proper equipment: Please be sure your device has a camera and microphone. Zoom will ask you to enable them when you log on for the first time. Be sure to grant them permission. Tip: If your camera produces a blurry image, try cleaning the lens with a soft cloth.
- Be sure you have adequate lighting: Avoid sitting in front of windows, especially when it's light outside. Your face will be silhouetted as a result. If it's dark out, be sure you have decent lighting on your face. Too bright can be as bad as too dark. Experiment, and see what works best.
- Be sure your microphone is working: Check settings in your computer if you have a problem. If you intend on reading for us, try recording yourself by logging onto Zoom yourself and read a poem, then play it back and see how it sounds. Tip: If your voice is too faint, sit closer to the device. If it's too loud, move back a bit.
- Be sure to mute yourself when the readings start: For most laptop and desktop computers, the mute button is in the top right corner of the window where you see yourself. There's also a mute icon in the shape of a microphone in the bottom left corner of your computer screen. They are toggles, so clicking it once will mute you; a second click will unmute you. The host of the meeting has the ability to mute anyone, and will often do so if someone has distracting background noise during a reading. It's easy to forget to mute yourself, so don't be offended if that happens to you. We've all done it.
- Log on early: In order to avert or troubleshoot any technical problems, it's always a good idea to give yourself plenty of time before meeting to sort things out. The host will usually open the meeting 5-10 minutes early anyway, so that's always a good time to see how everything is working and apply necessary fixes.
- Check out the Zoom "Chat" window: Many folks like to comment on a good poem or even a good line within a poem when others are reading. They do this on the chat window in the Zoom control panel. You have options here. Next to the "To" field, a blue window informs you who you are messaging. If you want the group to see your comment, select "Everyone." Otherwise you can send a private message to whomever you select. Participation in this way is completely optional, but please feel free to join in. You can also save the chat at any point by clicking on the three dots on the bottom right corner of the chat window.
- Presenting (reading) tip: In Zoom, your camera broadcasts your image whether you are looking at the program or not. If you're reading an email during a meeting, the camera continues to show you, even if you can't see the meeting window. This is handy if you'd like to read your work from the screen, which gives the illusion of looking at the audience instead of looking down at your desk. This technique makes for a more engaging reading for your listeners. You'll need to take Zoom off of "Full Screen" mode if it's set to that, then click on the document you want to read. Be sure to position that document directly below your camera. If you are reading a group of poems, we suggest compiling them all into one document and scrolling through them as you read. That way you won't have to search for the next piece while everyone waits on you. Rehearse this while recording yourself so you can see how you look and get used to the process.
- Privacy: Zoom has a chat window that allows you to communicate in text form with everyone participating, or with another participant privately. Please note that if the host saves the chat to share with a reader, ALL PRIVATE CHATS WITH THE HOST BECOME VISIBLE. So don't share any personal information (or any comments) you wouldn't want to be shared with others.
A Call for Submissions
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From Claudia Castro Luna, Washington State Poet Laureate - Poetic Shelters
This project asks you to consider the poetics of your home and how its physical and emotional character is changing during this time. The home, whatever that may be for someone, is a space we each know intimately and can therefore represent poetically by sharing our memories, frustrations, daydreams, and also by by describing its physical configuration. Submissions go to: [email protected] |
Thank You
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OPN would like to express its heartfelt thanks to Judy Bushell and Tim Sherry for their generous donations this spring. We are doing our best to keep poetry in the forefront of what helps us get through this difficult time, and your generosity allows us more flexibility.
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New Traditions Cafe and Fair Trade Store
As most of you know, New Traditions, OPN's monthly reading venue for 23 years (since November 1997!), has recently been forced to shut down its operations due to the coronavirus, keeping their employees and patrons safe. The owners, Jody and Stacy, have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help them and their Fair Trade vendors financially throughout this crisis. Our membership agreed via email to donate $200 to their cause. Below is the cover of the beautiful Thank-You card Jody sent us on their behalf, along with her kind words of thanks.
You can contribute to New Traditions here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-new-traditions-through-this…
You can contribute to New Traditions here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-new-traditions-through-this…
Dear Members of OPN,
For all of these years, you've added to the culture and kindness of Traditions. Now, when we don't know how to do this without community– you step up. Thank you for reaching out with this generous check. You are all dear to my heart. Thank you! I can't wait to see and hear you on our stage once it is safe.
Jody, Stacy and the crew
For all of these years, you've added to the culture and kindness of Traditions. Now, when we don't know how to do this without community– you step up. Thank you for reaching out with this generous check. You are all dear to my heart. Thank you! I can't wait to see and hear you on our stage once it is safe.
Jody, Stacy and the crew
