JAVA EXPRESSIONS 

It all began in February 1997 when Steve Rylander hosted the first Sunday night poetry open mic at The Coffee Scene in Fayetteville, NC. Steve would lead the way each week by sharing his own original work, gently encouraging others to do the same. Not long after he handed the reins over to Neil Ray, the event became known as "Java Jams" and evolved into a fusion of music and poetry. In 1999, the poet known as "Northstar" came on board beginning the two-host format that we maintain today. In 2002 The Coffee Scene published it's own poetry anthology which collected works from both open mic performers and other Coffee Scene regulars. By 2003, the open mic following...and the sign up sheet...had grown so large that a music-centered spin-off event was created on Thursday nights, later moving to Mondays. In 2005, the poetry open mic rechristened itself as "Java Expressions" while the music night was named "Java Jams". Northstar started traveling as published poet "AKA Dick" and the longtime supporter, poet, and avid chess player known as "Radar" each began to step into co-hosting. Radar was already known for theatrical performances and as a host he quickly began to take time to ensure that new artists, particularly first-time performers, felt welcomed and understood that they had a place and a voice in our ever-growing family. AKA Dick evoked the writing and performance style of the classic beat poet. He remained steadfast in encouraging those around to him to grow as writers while developing himself and diversifying his own influences. In the years that followed, both events continued to grow in popularity and participation. In 2009, poet-songwriter Mitra Maraj took over hosting Java Jams. Around this time poet/Native American flutist Ron Stringer began occasionally co-hosting Java Expressions, adding his own distinctive style to the mix. 

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In 2013 Northstar returned, collaborating with Neil & Radar to launch the monthly internet broadcast "Java Expressions: LIVE" in 2014. JE: LIVE streams on the 3rd Sunday of each month and has enjoyed a truly international following with viewers having logged on to watch from across Asia, Europe, and North & South America. Also in 2014, The Coffee Scene opened a store in the Spout Springs/Cameron area of North Carolina. That summer, Java Expressions continued its evolution into an open mic series with the kick off of "Java Expressions: Acoustically Speaking" at the new location. Currently hosted by Northstar & "TruBlu", Acoustically Speaking brought an unexpected and somewhat unique dynamic to the mix. It was originally intended to fill a void in the map of acoustic music open mics but quickly became a regular event for young poets and vocalists, drawing the majority of it's performers from two area high schools. In 2016 Acoustically Speaking answered the calls of many of the students and began leading free writing workshops on the 1st Tuesday of each month. In preparation for it's 20th anniversary Java Expressions began collecting submissions for it's online scrapbook/poetry collection "Java Reflections". Then in 2017 Java Expressions launched a "Cypher Night" on the 4th Sunday of the month.

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While none of us can really say where the series will go from here, the event hosts and The Coffee Scene family remain committed to providing an atmosphere where art & inspiration can flow naturally.