The Salon creates cozy home for slam poetry, literature lovers
Syracuse University senior Audrey Weisburd created The Salon, a slam poetry and spoken word venue. Weisburd started this as a way for students to express themselves and have a creative outlet. Ella Chan | Asst. Photo Editor
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At Syracuse University, students perform live music and DJs spin beats at student-run venues like Cage and Dazed. Now, there’s also The Salon, where students can gather to present original poetry and spoken word pieces.
“I’ve made countless friends just sitting in rooms with other writers, and community is more important now than ever,” Dayna Roberts, a sophomore creative writing major, said. “It’s easy to feel alienated in a world so divided. Finding a place to express yourself is almost a necessity.”
The Salon is a slam poetry and spoken word venue created by Audrey Weisburd, a senior television, radio and film major who was inspired to create this space by historical literary salons. She said the name originates directly from the Gertrude Stein salon, where the writer welcomed artists such as Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso to her Paris apartment. The Salon held its first reading event last month.
Weisburd’s main push to open a space like this stemmed from her experience with the campus magazines Zipped, Moody and Perception, as well as her work with the student comedy venue The Playground and co-founding Matchbox Films, a university art-house film production club.
“I’m very passionate about helping other people tell their stories and bringing communities together to do so,” Weisburd said. “I always just thought that kind of exchange of ideas and meeting of minds of all the poets and the authors was just such a romantic time that kind of stood alone.”
Weisburd thought about the ways The Salon could provide that kind of space for students. She was inspired by her work from The Playground to make the space come to life. The Salon, located in a home off of Comstock Avenue, features cushions on blanketed wood floors, comfortable couches, warm lighting and light snacks.
The Salon’s set-up consists of various students presenting two poems each: one poem they haven’t written that resonates with them and one original piece. Weisburd opens each event by giving a few words and thanking everyone for coming. Poets introduce themselves and then dive into their spoken word.
Max Dickman, a sophomore visual communications major, emphasized how necessary outlets like The Salon are for creatives and writers.
“At both events, I gained new perspectives on life experiences, and simply enjoyed beautifully written poetry,” Dickman said.
Venues like The Salon encourage cleverness and rapport within creative communities, Roberts said.
Roberts was initially terrified throughout the process of creating her set at the prospect of being vulnerable in an unfamiliar setting. But, with support from Weisburd and the participants, she felt at ease reciting more of her pieces.
“I just needed a way to step into a poetry salon without fainting,” Roberts said. “The Salon made me feel ready to do so.”
Through The Salon, Dickman’s been able to strengthen relationships with attendees and discover new connections with fellow poets. The welcoming crowd made Dickman feel like he could express complex and intimate emotions, knowing they would handle his material with care.
“I felt excited to try something new, and proud that people were going to take the time to value my personal experiences and level with me for a couple of minutes,” Dickman said.
Roberts and Dickman both said spaces like The Salon don’t exist in their hometowns. They’re excited about the addition of The Salon to SU’s community, especially since spaces like this force people to be present during an era where people are easily distracted, Roberts said.
Dickman has found an entirely new support system through the venue, where he can receive opinions on his work, hear insightful advice and build relationships with new people.
Weisburd is currently completing her final semester at SU. She hopes the venue will leave its mark on the Syracuse community.
“I want to show the Syracuse community how many people have the same shared interest and passion in poetry and writing,” Weisburd said.
Weisburd doesn’t want The Salon to stay within the university’s boundaries. She wishes to coordinate events for The Salon at venues in the Syracuse community and beyond so she can continue to make an impact.
“I think that the overall environment loosens people up in a way that’s very special,” Weisburd said. “Just having pop-ups at different apartments and creating and cultivating, creating spaces that way, I think it’s the best part of life, truly.”
Disclaimer: Dayna Roberts is a contributing writer for The Daily Orange. She did not influence the editorial content of this article.
