NORTHWEST TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) — Every first Sunday of the month, a corner of Tallahassee Nurseries in Northwest Tallahassee transforms into something more than a place to buy plants. It becomes a stage for local poets.
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The Word Garden has been bringing writers and listeners together for four years, offering a space where both seasoned voices and first-time performers can share their work with a live audience.
Zachary Scott, one of the event's organizers, said the mission has always been about access.
"We do our best to curate either voices you've heard before or folks who don't really have that platform and give them their first chance to spread their creativity to a greater audience," Scott said.
The series draws people in from all walks of life — including those who stumble upon it by chance.
Faith Cason was visiting the nursery when a sign advertising poetry in the garden caught her eye. A poet herself, she decided to stay and listen.
"I got to say there was a lot of diversity with the different poets on the stage and it was quite beautiful to watch because in such a busy city, there is a lack of individualism a lot of the time," Cason said. "So, I'm just glad we stayed. There was a lot of really enlightening poems."
For those who return to read, the experience can be as meaningful as the writing itself.
Anne Meisenzahl has read at the Word Garden four or five times.
She said writing is often a solitary act, but reading work aloud transforms it into something shared.
"When you write, you write in isolation and you write for yourself and with the idea maybe someday someone will read it," Meisenzahl said. "So, to be able to read out loud is sort of coming full circle, sharing your intimate thoughts and feelings with others."
Organizers say they plan to keep building on that connection, creating more opportunities for people to gather around poetry and the stories behind it.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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