My friend Jeremy Miles passed away last year after a brief struggle with cancer. He was a gifted poet, with several self-published volumes before his passing. I highly recommend his poetic output.
Besides being a great poet and a great friend, Jeremy was a builder of community. It’s not what you’d expect from a Gen Xer clad entirely in black from head-to-toe, often with a trench coat, always with his signature black hat. Our mental image of such a figure is a misanthropic outsider, or a socially awkward anime fanboy.
He was neither—well, maybe he was a little misanthropic, but aren’t we all after a certain age? Regardless, he became an essential part of, and helped to build, a thriving open mic scene in the glorious Before Times, in the Long, Long Ago, before The Age of The Virus.
His longtime girlfriend/common-law-wife hosted a celebration of life/memorial service/birthday party in late January 2024 to celebrate Jeremy’s life and what would have been his birthday. She wanted it to be an open mic, and I’m sure Jeremy would have approved.