THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 29, 1996 TAG: 9603270130
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 128 lines
Everybody loves The Loud Poetry Guy, especially school-age children, their parents, teachers, librarians and school administrators. They appreciate his ability to enthrall listeners with his histrionic, and sometimes loud, performances of humorous poetry.
In fact, The Loud Poetry Guy, a.k.a. James W. Scott, is so loved in the state he's been invited to be the grand finale performer at the Virginia Festival of the Book, taking place through Sunday in Charlottesville.
The four-day festival, which began Thursday, features workshops and presentations by dozens of authors from across the nation, including Rita Dove, poet laureate of the United States, along with other noted authors such as Nikki Giovanni, Mary Lee Settle, Rita Mae Brown and Jeffrey Hopkins.
At the festival, Scott will participate in a Saturday 40-author book signing event at the Omni Hotel in downtown Charlottesville.
So how did this loud guy from Chesapeake get the opportunity to join the ranks of such well-known and lauded writers anyhow?
Blame it on my loud poetry show, he said.
``The superintendent of Charlottesville schools saw me when I did two shows there,'' said Scott, a Great Bridge resident. ``I had a blast at those shows. They were very well received, and I even made the front page of the local newspaper.''
With the book festival growing each year and now expanding to four days, Scott's performance skills were just what the organizers of the event were looking for.
``She called me back and said, `We would like you be the grand finale performer since you did such a good job at the schools. Are you interested?' I was thrilled to get the invitation,'' he said.
Scott said he is also thrilled at making a living as The Loud Poetry Guy, giving 150-200 presentations at school assemblies and PTA meetings. When he's not doing poetry he's media director at the Chesapeake-based Grey Matter & Co. advertising agency.
Scott, 44, who grew up in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, was invited 13 years ago to what was then Western Branch Elementary School to be one of several celebrity readers.
``They invited my mother and asked if I would like to do it since they knew me from doing the `Great TV Auction' on WHRO for the past 12 years,'' Scott said.
Scott said he had to read in the commons area.
``Because it was this large, open area I began to read very loud so the kids could hear me,'' he said. ``Soon, other teachers sent their classes out to hear me since I was drowning out the readers in their classrooms. Eventually the principal came out to see what all the noise was about.''
After that Scott said he'd do about two or three such poetry readings a year. The school bookings increased until one day he was offered money for something he loved to do: perform and make people happy.
``I said to myself, `Wow! They're going to pay me for this.' So I came up with a price and, wouldn't you know it, they said what I asked for was very inexpensive but it was still more than I made doing a couple of hour's worth of stand-up in a club.''
Scott said his Loud Poetry Guy was drawn from years he spent as a stand-up comedian at area and regional comedy clubs. He was also chief writer and leader - along with well-known area disc jockey and personality Mac McClellan - of the local sketch comedy troupe known as The Funny Farm.
In its heyday, The Funny Farm had upwards of 10 members in its ensemble cast, played all over the area and even opened shows for the likes of The Firesign Theatre.
But it was the school performances that really took off.
``I went from about 10 assemblies a year to doing 70, and now I average close to 200,'' said Scott, who cites everyone from Bill Cosby, Bob Newhart, Lenny Bruce and the crazies of Monty Python's Flying Circus as inspiration. ``I think I'm successful at this because I draw from 22 years worth of stand-up and comedy performance experience.''
Scott said he's worked schools throughout Chesapeake and Hampton Roads. Thanks to extensive teacher networking and word of mouth, he's also presented programs in Chicago, Atlanta, Detroit and other places beyond the Old Dominion.
``At these assemblies I do everything I can to get kids interested in reading and writing,'' he said. ``I use poetry kids like, including my own. Right now, I have about three years worth of material. So I can go to the same school months later and never repeat myself.''
Scott said he reads the works of such well-known poets and song writers as Shel Silverstein, Jeff Moss (responsible for the song ``Rubber Ducky,'' ``I Love Trash'' and other ``Sesame Street'' ditties) and Roald Dahl.
``I love to find people who aren't well known,'' he said. ``Many of the poems I read were written by song writers and are available only on audio tapes. I encourage kids to look for poetry in other places besides poetry books.''
But what delights Scott most is reading his own stuff including poems with titles like ``Big Family,'' ``Please Aim Your Food Carefully'' and ``Vomitus Interruptus.''
He's already published one book of child-friendly, hilarious poems called ``Louder!'' and has six, including ``A Louder Christmas'' and the story-poem ``Fred the Tree,'' soon to be released. His book is currently available at major bookstores in the area.
``I love to write,'' he said. ``I started writing comedy skits and poetry in the fifth grade. I like to get a kid's point of view in my poems. I use terminology that would appeal to a kid.''
Scott said children can relate to a noisy guy.
``I start off as Allister Cooke and soon end up raising my voice and lowering it for dramatic effect,'' he said. ``It keeps everyone on their toes.''
When he performs he always has a book in his hand to encourage children to visit the library.
``Time and time again teachers come up to me and tell me that after one of my performances no poetry book is left in the school library. Now that makes me feel good,'' he said.
He said he also feels good about his persona as The Loud Poetry Guy, a name he received from Meredith Garrett, who was principal at the Western Branch Elementary School, where he first started.
He said he called the school back several months after his first session, talked to the principal and gave him his name. After thinking a few minutes, Garrett asked if he was ``that loud guy.'' Scott said soon other principals and teachers began to remember him the same way.
``Finally I managed to hook on to that phrase,'' he said. ``And I know kids will relate to that name. I think when they see that someone called The Loud Poetry Guy is coming they'll know it won't be boring. They'll know something's going to happen. I like to keep things different, twisted, loose and...LOUD!'' MEMO: For more information about The Loud Poetry Guy, a.k.a. James W. Scott or
about where to obtain his book, ``Loud,'' call 482-3858.
ILLUSTRATION: Photo by LORETTA WASHBURN
The Loud Poetry Guy, a.k.a. James W. Scott, will perform in
Charlottesville.
by CNB