Phish, poop and poetry at The Pub
Story and photos by Amber McCain
Joe Holt, associate professor of English at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, reads during the Graduate Student Literary Recital on Feb. 13 at The Pub in the Wood Center. His piece included a nod to the band Phish, drawing knowing reactions from the audience.
Graduate students and faculty filled The Pub at the University of Alaska Fairbanks on Friday the 13th for an evening of original poetry, fiction and nonfiction during the Valentine’s Day-themed Graduate Student Literary Recital.
Hosted from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Wood Center venue, the event invited UAF College of Liberal Arts graduate students and faculty to read original work before what organizers described as an “enthusiastic and sometimes boisterous” audience. There was no fee to participate, though readers were asked to limit their presentations to five minutes.
Despite promotional references to Valentine’s Day and Friday the 13th, organizers emphasized that all genres and topics were welcome. One firm guideline: no AI-generated prose or poetry.
Among the participants was Joe Holt, associate professor of English at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and faculty advisor for the campus undergraduate journal Ice Box, whose work included a nod to the band Phish, drawing knowing reactions from the crowd with one line summing up the fan’s praise, “Last night, Phish redefined what is possible in live music. Holy fucking shit!”
Topher Corey, dubbed by some attendees as the “Poop Guy,” delivered a piece that repeatedly invoked its titular word, prompting waves of laughter and surprise. The piece, actually titled “Some things I want you to picture in your head.” The word “poop” appears 34 times, about 2.5% of the poem’s total word count, Corey said.
Topher Corey reads his “poop” piece, titled “Some things I want you to picture in your head” during the Graduate Student Literary Recital on Feb. 13 at The Pub in the Wood Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Corey shared inspiration behind the frequent use of the word, telling The Sun Star that when he was 12, he was kicked in the head by a donkey, resulting in neurological damage and sensory issues. “When I came to, I should have smelled the manure and my own blood, but I didn’t.” He continued to say that writing has allowed him to explore senses he wouldn’t otherwise have. “I thought it was amusing to add a foul odor to each vignette.”
The reading, organized by Louis Carufel, featured a wide range of themes and tones. Pieces explored small-town life and motherhood, while others leaned into humor, including poems that insisted they were not love poems at all. The lineup moved smoothly between heartfelt reflection and irreverence, offering a cross-section of lived experience.
The event brought together writers in a relaxed setting that blended literary performance with the unpredictable spirit of Friday the 13th.