Building The Poet House: A Story of Voices and Vision
The Poet House
The Poet House (TPH) was founded by Michael Hatcher and Jasmine Games, inspired by Michael’s poetry upbringing under Giselle Robinson, a nationally awarded West Indian/Caribbean poet from St.Thomas, Virgin Islands, who opened her home, known as G’s House, to nurture writers. Her commitment to community planted the seed for TPH, a space honoring her vision by using poetry and performance as tools for connection and transformation.
How We Began
TPH grew from free programs designed to remove participation barriers:
- Jasmine launched Courageous Cadence (CC) in 2020 at The University of Texas in Austin. It began as a Performing Justice Project, using spoken word for racial, gender, and healing justice. Supported by local partners, it launched virtually during the pandemic then transitioned to in-person residencies at the African American Youth Harvest Foundation’s Urban University. In 2024, The VORTEX hosted its first residency. CC has now served over 90 high school-aged youth at no cost, offering black youth free opportunities to write and perform, ensuring that the next generation of Black storytellers see themselves as leaders, healers, and changemakers in this community.
- Michael created every.Word Poetry (EWP) in 2023. It began with grassroots cyphers outside the Mueller Alamo Drafthouse, after Austin Poetry Slam’s Wednesday event ended and the venue closed. Late-night street performances quickly grew into one of Austin’s most vibrant spoken word platforms, amplified by videos shared across social media. In July 2024, EWP hosted its first free open mic at The VORTEX, centering Black poets and continuing the practice of posting and providing performers with their recordings at no cost. Since then, EWP has hosted more than 75 events, including Black History Month and Juneteenth celebrations, and welcomed over 2,000 poets and poetry enthusiasts. EWP remains free and open to the public while paying artists to feature, host, and facilitate workshops, offering Black creatives rare opportunities for visibility, income, and community leadership.
In 2024, Michael and Jasmine combined visions to form The Poet House, a home where poetry fuels artistry, activism, and community care. EWP carries forward the legacy of Black spoken word tradition, offering one of the city’s most vibrant platforms where Black voices are celebrated, documented, and amplified. TPH is supported by our fiscal sponsorship, the Austin Creative Alliance, and in the process of gaining 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.
The Problem & Opportunity
Everywhere, poets and storytellers lack the resources and safe spaces needed to share their work. Spoken word, a historically Black art form, calls out injustice while remaining under-supported. For years, Austin Black poets have had minimal access to consistent venues, limiting opportunities to grow as performers, professionals, and community leaders. Many also navigate financial instability and mental health challenges, while much of the work relies on unpaid labor, with founders and community members facilitating events and coaching youth without compensation. These conditions undervalue their cultural contributions, and passion-driven models are not sustainable without funding, as artists need as much support as they give.
Who We Serve
The Poet House serves diverse spoken word artists and audiences. Aligned with our mission, we center Black and marginalized voices, building care-centered creative spaces where underrepresented communities are empowered to share their stories and grow their craft.
- Black Diaspora: As a Black-owned and majority Black-staffed organization, we approach our community and craft through a Black framework. As we all come from diverse backgrounds, we bridge experiences across African American, Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latinx, and African communities.
- Queer Community: 65% of participants identify as LGBTQIA+.
- Disability & Neurodivergence: 13% identify with a disability; 42% are neurodivergent, including 24% with ADHD.
- Youth: Nearly 10% of our community are youth, with 40% of our programming being intentionally designed for intimate youth experiences.
The Gap & Vision
While the foundation for TPH is strong, resources to fully realize our vision remain limited. Building a sustainable home for poetry requires funding for facilities, programming, and outreach, along with tools like new equipment, digital storage to archive performances, and dedicated space for workshops and rehearsals. Without these supports, the contributions of Black poets risk being undervalued, and audiences lose vital opportunities for connection, healing, and empowerment. Our long-term vision is to establish a permanent, nationally recognized home for spoken word poetry in Austin, a hub for artistic innovation, equity, and community power. With sustained support, TPH will expand programming, deepen outreach, and elevate the voices of Black creatives shaping the narratives of our time.
