By Anna Hays

A poetic protest against mountaintop removal brought together a large crowd at Al’s Bar on Wednesday at an event to benefit Kentuckians for the Commonwealth.

With standing room only at the “Holler 11: Poets for Peace in the Mountains,” presenter Jude McPherson said Wednesday’s was the largest crowd the series had seen — with an estimated 180 people in attendance.

“Tonight we come together, poets for peace in the mountains; this is a night to speak out about what we think about what we should do with our Earth,” said Eric Sutherland, the host and creator of the monthly function.

 

 

 

The theme of activism was carried through the event. Jason Howard, a writer and musician, found the spirit and communion at the event touching. 

“There are people here from all across Kentucky. It is really great to see the commonwealth come together like that,” Howard said. “It is a protest.  It’s not just a protest against mountaintop removal. It is a protest against apathy.”

Erik Reece, UK English lecturer and author, said activism can be frustrating at times and an event such as “Holler 11” allows like-minded people to come together and inspire others to be involved.   

“What a difference it would make for people to be able to say I am not part of the problem, I am part of the solution,” Reece said.  “You cannot fight something as large as mountaintop removal alone.”

Reece said the “Holler 11” event was a mix between education and celebration. The environment at Al’s Bar was relaxed and filled with conversation, laughter, cheers and applause.  

The three-hour event allowed presenters to share their work and their stories. George Ella Lyon shared a story about the lack of understanding about mountaintop removal mining before reading two works of poetry.  

“I was talking to somebody about mountaintop removal and this person said,  ‘What good is a mountain?’ And I said, ‘What good is your mother?’ ” Lyon said.

The other presenters were Silas House and Kentucky Poet Laureate Jane Gentry Vance. Karly Dawn Higgins and Public Outcry also performed. Reece said the mix of music and literature allowed the audience to be fully engaged.  

Kentuckians for the Commonwealth had a table of items for sale relating to the writers and issues about environmental protection as part of their effort to raise awareness and money for issues facing Kentucky.