• About P&P

    What

    A quarterly brunch poetry reading event, nine years and running where 80+ people get together to enjoy a visiting poet, 300 or so pancakes, a mason jar mimosa bar, and one another's company.

    When

    A Saturday morning, once per quarter -- January, April, July, & October.

    Where

    The home of Al Gaines & Stephanie Pruitt, a cozy spot in a suburb of Nashville, TN where we write on the windows.

    Why

    Because we can't control everything happening in this world, but we can choose how and with whom we invest our energy and time. Oh, and we really like art and food.

    Who

    New and longstanding friends, colleagues, neighbors (along with folks we met at the grocery store or gas station the week of the event who were brave enough to come to a stranger's house) More info on: Al & Stephanie

    How

    A whole bunch of resourceful elbow grease from Al & Stephanie along with the thoughtful and generous pitching in of all our guests. ***We rotate the guestlist each quarter to accommodate our big numbers and small space. Be patient with us. More info? Wanna come? Let us know here

  • The Poems & Pancakes Story

    Early in our marriage, Al and I realized that we had many disconnected pockets of friends. His tech work folks didn't know my poetry folks. My Vanderbilt & Agnes Scott College people had never met his MTSU & Davidson College people. Poems and Pancakes was our way of getting a bunch of our faves in one space. It also became a pathway to meet new gems, friends of friends, or maybe cool kids we'd seen from afar but were too socially awkward to approach until (eureka!) we had an excuse to invite them over to play.

     

    Poems & Pancakes is a reminder that we're surrounded by joy.

    And we don't have to wear our fancy clothes or paint on a social mask to experience it.

     

    We've found that good people, good food, and intentional art in the right setting

    can grow an engaged, inspired, and empowered community.

     

    Our highly accomplished, visiting poets have included:

    Marilyn Nelson, Kelly Norman Ellis, Mitchell Douglas, Amanda Johnston, Marcus Jackson, Kelly and Jarvis and Naomi DeBerry, Randall Horton, TJ Jarrett, Manuel Zeitlin, Carlton Wilkinson, Joshua Moore, Parneshia Jones, Derrick Harriel, Christina Stoddard, Kyle Dargan, Tamarind Jam, Kamilah Aisha Moon, and more!

     

     

    We love to curate low-pressure, laughter-filled, truth-telling, nurturing experiences

    full of a wide range of people, folks you'd rarely see gathered in one place together.