JCW One-Mic Stand with SJ

Step up. Speak out. Stand tall.

Jersey City Writers invites you to One-Mic Stand with SJ—an open mic experience like no other! This is where raw talent meets electrifying energy, and every voice has a chance to shine.

On the 2nd Friday of every month, two incredible featured poets will take the stage alongside a lineup of fearless performers from our vibrant poetry community. Open mic slots are 5 minutes each, giving you the perfect space to share your truth—whether it’s poetry, spoken word, or a story waiting to be heard.

Come for the poetry. Stay for the magic. Join the movement.

$10 Suggested Donation (Cash, Venmo, Paypal)

Doors open at 6:30pm, Open Mic starts at 7pm -- first come, first served!

Our Host Steve Willett (SJ) is a sound poet who is actively involved in the poetry community and has had several feature performances around New Jersey. His poem ‘Petulance’ was a shortlisted selection for the University of Grimsby’s Hammond House International Poetry Competition in 2019. Steve serves as moderator for the Jersey City Writers (JC Plums) poetry group, which meets online every week to discuss poetry and improve participants' works. He was also one of the producers for the Jersey City Writers JC Poetry Festival in 2023 and is currently working on the 2025 festival. He is also a teaching artist at Newark School of the Arts. He lives with his wife, 2 daughters, and 5 cats in the Heights. He is excited to have his own Open Mic, (One-Mic Stand with SJ), and give back to a community that has given so much support to him.

06/05 FEATURED ACTS: Empress J*La-Roc & Brian Acosta Arya (aka Brian the Motel Guy)

Brian Acosta Arya, known as Brian The Motel Guy, is a New Jersey–based artist, content creator and motel manager whose storytelling has attracted over 1 million followers. His #FreeRoomForYou initiative—launched during the COVID pandemic to shelter people facing housing insecurity—earned national and international recognition and inspired hotels across the country to take similar action. His work has since been featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show, the New York Post and People Magazine. In 2024, he became one of the first social media influencers ever to cover the Democratic National Convention. Off-screen, Brian is a spoken word poet and host with NYC’s legendary Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe.
Empress J*La-Roc is a NJ/NYC-based dancer, cultural organizer, and multidisciplinary artist of Puerto Rican and Taíno descent. Raised in Jersey City, she found her sense of belonging in Hip Hop culture, where rhythm, movement, and community shaped her artistic identity. Her love for freestyle and raw expression led her into the dance community through NJ organizations including NBK Crew, Community for Urban Dance and Art (CUDA), and Bboy Bgirl Lifestyle. These spaces nurtured her growth and grounded her commitment to movement, culture, and community care.

Empress J*La-RoC is a NJ/NYC-based dancer, cultural organizer, and multidisciplinary artist of Puerto Rican and Taíno descent. Raised in Jersey City, she found her sense of belonging in Hip Hop culture, where rhythm, movement, and community shaped her artistic identity. Her love for freestyle and raw expression led her into the dance community through NJ organizations including NBK Crew, Community for Urban Dance and Art (CUDA), and Bboy Bgirl Lifestyle. These spaces nurtured her growth and grounded her commitment to movement, culture, and community care.
By sixteen, she began deepening her connection to her cultural roots through extensive training in Urban and Latin dance styles. She also attended Hudson County Community College for theater, expanding her foundation. Performing Arts became her medicine, an anchor through life’s challenges and a pathway to healing. This journey inspired her to become a teaching artist, sharing movement with young people across Hudson County.
A multidimensional creator, J*La-RoC works across dance, spoken word, theater, music, and writing. Her work embraces vulnerability as a form of healing, shaped by her lived experiences with mental illness, recovery from a life-threatening injury, and a pursuit of spiritual and philosophical study. These themes echo through every medium she explores, from directing and acting to emceeing and community organizing.
J*La-RoC currently serves as President of NBK, co-hosts Awaken JC, and sits on its Board of Trustees, as well as on the Board of Advisors for CUDA. She continues to inspire youth through the very art that has fueled her drive and motivation, the very art forms that has sustained her, keeping her sane and, in many ways, alive.

Supported by public funds from the Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund