Street roots., August 30, 2013, Page 6, Image 6

street roots
6
Aug. 30, 2013
A poet finds
concern his way at
Art with Heart Walk!
Street
Roots
Thursday, September 5, 2013
CENTRAL CITY
BY ANN-DERRICK GAILLOT
Please join us and other
nearby agencies that serve
the community's most at-risk
men, women and children in a
celebration of
artistic expression!
Stop by our gallery space at
33 NW Broadway and we'll
provide a map of all 7+
locations.
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Nick Sullivan has come a long way from his
first day selling Street Roots. “At first it was
scary,” says Nick about the experience. “But
once I get out there and I have my Street
Roots shirt on and I hold up my papers, I sort
of relax and it always seems to go smoothly
and everyone’s really nice. It goes really
well.”
Originally from Utah, Nick has been in
Portland since 2008, having fallen in love
with the city after coming to visit a friend. An
endearing and soft-spoken guy, Nick likes to
spend his days reading in the park, playing
the guitar, or writing poetry. He describes
music as his “full-time hobby” and is adept at
several instruments including drums, guitar
and piano. However, being naturally shy, Nick
sometimes struggles with stage fright, which
he credits Street Roots with pushing him to
overcome. “That’s something that Street
Roots has helped me with a little bit. Just
putting myself out there and saying hi to
people and making eye contact.”
Nick joined Street Roots in February after
losing his job at the Oregon Zoo. He was
encouraged to become a vendor after a friend
recommended the program, but he was no
newbie to the paper. “I’ve been reading the
paper for a while. Even before I started
selling it.” He is now stationed at Starbucks
Laurelhurst and at the People’s Food Coop
on SE 21st Avenue. In addition to the income
it provides, which Nick uses for his basic
HI'
P H O T O B Y CO LE M E R K E L
talking about the writing group. His shyness
that struck me upon our first meeting
disappeared as he freely offered to share one
of his most recent poems with me:
Fallen feather,"**
n eed s and to keep his cell phone turned on
Vendors are regular contributors
to Street Roots content, as
columnists, poets and artists.
Look for your favorite vendor's
writings in each edition o f the
paper.
Answers to puzzles on page 15
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for job hunting, selling the paper has become
for him an exercise in becoming an extrovert.
Nick is also thankful for the Street Roots
writing group held every Wednesday morning
by Vendor Coordinator Cole Merkel. Already
an avid reader, he cites the collaborative
spirit of the group for stimulating his poetic
creativity. While for much of our interview
Nick was reserved, he instantly lit up when
VENDOR WORK ADS
Work Wanted
Dog walker; House cleaner; Care giver.
Dog lover who is honest, sober and
reliable. Rate: Private treaty. Eileen V.
(message) 503-228-5657
*»
Fly by night.
Flip flap feather duster.
Bird done lost its weather buster.
Can’t brush the sky,
It can’t fold the clouds,
Festooned no more.
Broken lopsided left-right wings
Smoking, hop-a-long death can’t sing
Water off a duck’s back
til the feathers fall off.
Frightful fugitive crow,
Wait for the spiteful, virulent and snow.
In the future Nick hopes to travel and get
the chance to visit the Oregon coast for the
first time. He is also currently looking for a
music internships, his last step in finishing
up the professional music program at
Portland Community College. As the Portland
weather inevitably worsens, be on the
lookout for Nick at a local open mic night or
reading. He’ll be sure to surprise you with
his authenticity, his openness and his well-
honed talents.
Find out more about
Street Roots a t
www.streetroots.org
Need a worker? Can do almost anything,
light or heavy. References supplied. $10
an hour, four-hour min. Ask for Cassidy
Morse, 503-228-5657 (SR office), or 503-
875-6504 (cell).
Head more a t www.news.streetroots.org