Little Rock poet, musician Rj Looney featured at Wednesday Night Poetry
Little Rock poet and musician Rj Looney will be this week’s featured poet for Wednesday Night Poetry at Kollective Coffee+Tea, 110 Central Ave.
The regular open mic session for all poets will begin at 6:30 p.m. Looney will begin at 7 p.m., followed by another round of open mic. Admission is free and open to all ages.
Born in Oil Trough and now living in Little Rock, Looney has been a federal government employee for over 25 years, working as an environmental coordinator. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Management and his master’s degree in Biology from Arkansas State University, making a living utilizing best environmental practices to create balance in natural world. He is married with three grown children and two grandchildren, “who delight him.”
Musically, Looney performs old-time blues and folk in a guitar/harmonica duo called Fret & Worry — harmonica is his forte. The duo have performed throughout Arkansas, Texas, and Missouri since 2014. Looney also hosted the KABF 88.3 Americana radio program Under the Influence from 2012-2018.
Looney started writing in high school in the 1980s and said that stress seems to most trigger the muse.
“I wrote poetry for about 20 years before ever getting published,” he said in a news release. “His poetry has been described as ‘gritty Southern,’ and if you have ever heard him read, his deep, dusky voice and his subject matter make this description so true. There is a rawness and character to his poetry that are very unique. His poetry is largely biographical, based on people and situations that he creates, which pulls the listener into that world. Looney is largely influenced by Bukowski, Neruda, Frost, Plath, and short story and poetry writings of Raymond Carver. Looney has been published in numerous online and print literary journals since the mid-2000s,” the release said.
Some of his publication credits include Thundersandwich, Salt Journal, and The Dead Mule. “A framed handwritten reject from Oxford American is among my most prized possessions,” he said. His book “A Crow’s Breakfast” was published in 2014.
This is Looney’s second feature at Wednes- day Night Poetry. This week marks 1,582 consecutive Wednesdays of weekly poetry readings in downtown Hot Springs since Feb. 1, 1989.
“WNP is always looking for fresh new voices and talents to feature, so come and share,” the release said. Email the host, Kai Coggin, at wednesdaynightpoetry@gmail.com for more information.