Despite a somewhat small turnout, both in the audience and in performers, the Exit 109 poetry reading at the Espresso Corner in Blacksburg went off without a hitch.

Exit 109 editor and emcee for the evening's proceedings, Courtney Ingham, opened the show with a recently composed poem, titled "Split," which was written in response to the shootings at Backstreet Cafe in Roanoke a week earlier. She then turned the floor over to Jeff Davis, whose theatrical, slam- based poetry definitely caught the attention of the audience. After Jeff finished to an ovation, Cori Adams took the stage and read a new poem that was still in the early stages of revision, called "White Surfaces." A lady identifying herself only as "Erin" read next, reading two recently composed pieces, and was then followed by Shaun Corley, who read a new poem entitled "Yourself and Three of Your Friends." "This is new, so if it sucks, deal with it," he told the crowd.