The Why Behind the What

In the winter of 1998, a very tired, very frustrated woman did something she hadn't been able to do for around four years: she picked up a pen and began to write. She wrote away a lot of sadness and anger, and came out of a difficult time in her life better, not bitter. Two years, a journal notebook, and 84  poems later, she did something else: Deb Collett came out-of-the-closet about being a poet...and the silence was deafening - there was no one to tell! Somewhere between "I do" and potty training, the once-busy network of writers in Peoria had dwindled.  But Debi knew they were still out there, and she set out to find them. And in February of 2001, the first Aesthetic Underground website was launched.

Since that time the Internet has come of age, and the online networking opportunities are mind-boggling. Deb wondered if there was a place or need for The AU anymore. Then in 2003, Ms. Collett attended the Louder than a Bomb National Teen Poetry Slam held that year in Chicago, Illinois.  It was life-changing!  At that point, her passions for writing, individual expression, and encouraging "the weird kids like her" found its focus. 

She made time in her busy schedule to connect with 3 important ladies: Nena Daugherty, Cheri Nordstrom and Laini Greenstein.  Nena still runs Nabi's House (an adult hip-hop/spoken word show), Cheri founded Wordsmiths by Night (a fantastic writer's group) and Laini brought her considerable experience with non-profits to the table.

In 2003, The Aesthetic Underground launched its open mic at the Contemporary Art Center in downtown Peoria.  With a LOT of help from Cheri, Laini, and later, Stella Link, the open mic ran through the fall of 2008. While it was successful, the audience was primarially adults, which was never the intention. As a result, enthusiasim waned, numbers dwindled, schedules further overwhelmed; it was time to call it a day.

Now spring of 2009 is upon us and the Aesthetic Underground is coming out of its cocoon!  We hope you join us as we transform from caterpillar to butterfly. The methods may change but the goal stays the same: make sure writers have the opportunity to work in community! Here's to the best times being ahead!

All Aboard!

Debi Collett

History

  • February 2001 - First AU website
  • March 2001 - First AU open mic  meets in a local bookstore
  • 2002 - Bookstore phases out all group meetings, open mic ends, website continues
  • Winter 2003 - Website moves  to own domain
  • 2004 - lack of funds!  Website shuts down; email database maintained
  • Feb 2005 - Recruiting meeting  for core group of volunteers
  • March 2005 - AU open mic relaunches; AU becomes program of the CAC
  • 2006 - Current website opened.
  • July 2007 - Website Overhaul, New Communication & Newsletter Announced. 
  • 2007-2008 season features authors Bernadette Steele, Patricia Sheehy, and Monti Sikes from Oak Tree Press
  • June – September 2008 – Summer Break and back-to-school hiatus
  • October 2008 – AU resumes for its fourth season
  • January 2009 - AU closes open mic, establishes workshop format
  • March 2009 - AU reopens its own domain, begins pursuing non-profit status