The social club is tucked away in a quiet North Toledo neighborhood. A onetime storefront or possible bar, this private facility, known as “The Trunk”, a cozy venue filled with ambiance, often used as a gathering place for its members to watch sports, hosts parties and support the arts.
Its Friday nights were generally wide open, and so for the past eight months, it’s been home to some of the best poetry in Toledo – thanks to a lifelong performer and Toledo transplant who goes by the name Stormi, a close friend of the The Trunk’s owner.
A truly open mic
Stormi’s real name is Paula Blocker and she brought her talents from Chicago and soon found Toledo to be the epicenter for poetic artistry.
“Toledo is the best place in the world for poetry,” said Blocker. “There are so many people here that want to express themselves.”
Her Friday night show, “The Spoken Word Trunk of Truth,” begins with sign-in from 6-7pm. The process is simple: everyone is welcome, and it is first signed first up. While several area bars often host poetry readings, Blocker says many find hers to be different.
“A lot of times [open mics] are at these noisy places, and [The Trunk] is one of the places they really like,” she said. “I have this great ambiance. I put out candles. It’s a real cool, smooth place to be.”
Poetic beginnings
When Blocker began writing poetry at age 14 it had a very spiritual tone. She took a break from writing, and picked up the pen again after moving with her family to Toledo in 2010. After being inspired by other great local poetry, she knew she wanted to start her own show. She earned her stage name writing her first few pieces, which she considered topics of a stormy nature: domestic violence, marital strife, strengthening women and sex.
“I was feeling all stormy about it,” Blocker said. “Coming to my show, I’d say ‘I’m going to bring the storm.’ It’s something different, and something [the audience is] going to feel in their hearts.”
Blocker prefers to feature spoken word poetry, and she finds this art form to be extremely emotional.
“A lot of times when people do poetry, I consider it to be their truth,” Blocker said, explaining the event’s name. “I remember going through some pretty difficult times which prompted me to have feelings that came out so beautifully on paper. It was a form of healing. A lot of times [poets are] taking something they’re passionate about, but we’re hoping that we’re touching someone.”
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Power of the pen
While the show is open to anyone, the content can be mature, so Blocker compares it to a rating of PG-13 and higher. Subject matter is unpredictable, of course, but there’s usually a nice balance among the dozen or so poets who perform, “It all depends on the vibe in the room,” Blocker added.
Should you attend, you’ll never go hungry. Blocker provides free food, coffee and tea, and a full bar with alcoholic drinks is also available.“It helps to create a great atmosphere,” she said.
For Blocker, Toledo and The Trunk are perfectly matched for a night of great poetry.
“It’s so beautiful in Toledo, and The Trunk is one of those places, if you’re a first-timer and you’re not a seasoned artist, you’re going to feel more than comfortable at my microphone,” she said. “You’re going to start feeling yourself. I think I have a pretty good thing going on here.”
The Spoken Word Trunk of Truth is held every Friday at The Trunk, 3353 Franklin Ave., Toledo. For more information, contact Paula Blocker through Facebook.
