The Poetry Cafe

A Bit of History

     Approximately ten years ago, a talented young woman known by the name Ninian became a host in what was at that time known as Virtual Places.  This was a fairly new chat on the Internet market, unusual in the sense that it used avatars to portray each chat member.  When the host program was formed and put into use, Excite, owner of Virtual Places asked hosts for suggestions to create rooms that were specialized for interested chatters.  Ninian suggested a Poetry Cafe and that idea was soon put into play as part of several interest groups then available in the Chat program.

     In a very short time, an assorted group of Poets, would be poets and those at large who enjoyed poetry became frequent visitors to Ninian’s Poetry Café.  As a “closet poet” I was fortunate to meet a gentleman who took me into the Poetry Café, and from that time on until the demise of Excite’s Virtual Places it became my Internet home.  I read my poetry for the very first time in a public forum, scared to death, but elated at the chance to share my work with others.

     Not only did the Poetry Café exist online, but after several years we decided to hold a face to face Poetry Event in the centralized city of St. Louis.  This became the first of several events held annually and it brought all of the poets and friends even closer.  After a year of sharing my own poetry, I was asked by Ninian to train as a host for the café, to assist her and other hosts there.  For me it was a high honor and I was happy to be even more of a part of the café.

     Eventually, with three young children to care for Ninian decided to retire from her position as MC Host of the café.  She asked me to take over that job, and knew that my heart was of like mind as hers in this regard.  Once again, I was honored to do so.  In the following years the Poetry Café flourished, many times (in the days of observe) there were over 50 poets attending events.  As with many good things, trouble appeared on the horizon in the form of the sale of Excite to another company.

          It is perhaps worth mentioning that in the many years of Excite, whether known as Virtual Places or as Excite Super Chat, people we knew and loved would sometimes be gone for awhile.  At times we might not see them for a year or longer, but no matter the reasons, we were always excited and it warmed our hearts to see them whenever they chose to visit their “Poetry Home” once again.  If you find yourself reading this, and your mind flashes to those whom you cared about and felt close to at The Poetry Café, and have stayed in contact with them, please let them know there’s a “home” once again.

      Poets and hosts alike hoped that our wonderful times together would continue more or less in the same vein.  However, that was not to be, basically the new company, Iwon, retained the Excite name but little else.  The population of the chat went from an average of 12,000 a night to less then 1,000 under the new regime.  It became apparent that if we were to retain any status at all with our poets, it was time to move on from a dying existence.

     That brings us to today, with a rebirth of what began as Ninian’s Poetry Café.  Today it is ThePoetryCafe.net along with our very own room in VooDoo Chat on the Xtr0verts Server.  We currently have space for 30 poets, and we hope to fill our home to the rafters.  Old or young, poet or friend, listener or a poet in the making, we welcome you to this site and to your Poetry Cafe, a safe, caring and warm environment just for us, join us when you can. 

Sally Mour