Ink and Echo: A Night of Power, Poetry, and Presence

By Julia Press Simmons | Intellectual Ink Magazine

Intellectual Ink’s very first Ink and Echo Open Mic was nothing short of sacred. A night where voices rose, truth spilled freely, and community found its rhythm. Held in the heart of the Shawn Rae Art Gallery, the event felt like walking into warmth: art on the walls, energy in the air, and every seat filled with someone ready to witness or be witnessed.

Shawn Rae, artist and proprietor of the gallery, spoke to the crowd with grace and vision. She took a moment to speak about Pickaninny, the powerful debut novel she’s co-writing with me, a story deeply rooted in raw truth, family dynamics, racial identity, and generational pain. Her words set the tone for a night that centered honesty, healing, and unapologetic storytelling.

Then, in a rare and vulnerable moment, journalist Manuel McDonnell Smith took the mic. Usually behind the scenes, Manuel stepped into the spotlight to share an original poem that began, “Our season has come to an end.” The piece was born from a prompt of the TNT writing group his poem explored the quiet heartbreak of something—be it a relationship, a season of life, or an era—coming to a close. It was short, melodic, and unexpectedly moving.

Corey “Salty Truth” Floyd followed with a poem that flipped the room upside down. Titled Manosphere Tragedy, the piece was a satirical takedown of incel culture and red-pill influencers, performed in a Christmas carol cadence that was as hilarious as it was haunting. A film critic, content creator, and unapologetic truth-teller, Salty brought his signature wit and razor-sharp observations to the stage, leaving the audience stunned, laughing, and thinking all at once.

Then came Erica McDonald, who shared a deeply personal poem chronicling her journey through heartbreak and rebirth after divorce. Opening with the line, “Here I stand on the precipice between two worlds,” Erica’s voice carried the weight of real transformation. It was a love letter to survival, a whisper of strength, and one of the most soul-stirring moments of the evening. Her vulnerability gave others permission to release, reflect, and reclaim.

I had the joy and honor of sharing the stage with my daughter, Nik Starks, as we read selections from our debut poetry collection Ink and Echo. Our poems were personal, ancestral, and full of rhythm and resolve. We moved in sync and in story—two voices connected by blood and by art. It was one of the most meaningful performances of my life, and sharing it with Nik made it unforgettable.

I had the joy and honor of sharing the stage with my daughter, Nik Starks, as we each read selections from our debut poetry collection Ink and Echo. Though we spoke at different times during the evening, our poems wove a shared thread—woven through shared experience, memory, and purpose. Nik lit up the room with her fearless delivery of “I Gotta Write” and “Mind Fuck,” poems that crackled with urgency and truth. Later, I stepped forward with “The Rhythm” and “The Elements,” pieces that have carried me through many seasons. Though we stood apart, our spirits were in sync, threaded together by the very essence of Ink and Echo. Sharing that moment with her—my creative partner, my poetic daughter—was an honor I’ll hold close forever.

And then—Theresa tha S.O.N.G.B.I.R.D..

The legendary spoken word artist, viral sensation, and educator took the stage and brought the house to stillness with her opening line: “She’s devastatingly divine.” Her poem, laced with themes of healing, self-transformation, honesty, and grace, was beautifully written and patiently delivered. Her words danced across the crowd like sacred fire. It wasn’t just a performance—it was a soul-cleansing.

Theresa, a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., uses her gifts to uplift communities, inspire youth, and shatter ceilings. From her viral poem “You So Black” to features with S.I.R. and Bridgette Kelly on Robert Glasper’s Grammy-nominated Fck Yo Feelings*, Theresa is both legend and light. She closed the show with a presence so commanding and divine, it echoed through the walls long after she left the mic.

A Creative Communion

Ink and Echo was a living, breathing expression of what happens when we dare to show up with our pain, our joy, our art, and our whole selves. The energy in the gallery was pure harmony. People connected deeply, clapped loudly, and held space generously. Whether it was your first time on stage or your hundredth, the room embraced you like family.

We are grateful for every person who came, performed, listened, and loved. Ink and Echo was built to hold us all, and it did just that.

This was just the beginning.

Want to know when the next Ink and Echo event is happening?
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Let the echo carry on.