Atlanta-Area Poets Step Up To The Mic At Java Monkey Speaks

There’s something about coffeehouses that inspires artists. Maybe it’s the lighting; maybe it’s the background noise; maybe it’s the caffeine. It’s probably the caffeine. But at Java Monkey in downtown Decatur, Georgia, the inspiration lies with the regulars.Kodac Harrison has been doing the same thing almost every Sunday night for the past 14 years: Java Monkey Speaks, an open mic poetry night.

Harrison, the event’s founder and emcee, started out as a singer-songwriter years ago. But in recent years, he has become a local literary figure, even holding the McEver Poetry Chair at Georgia Tech for his literary works.