LiteratureTod Caviness
“ The Wingman ” of Loose Lips by Mary McGinn campaign , etc .— and I end up learning something obscure every month . I ’ ve been really surprised by how eager the writers are to take on this extra writing assignment .”
Before I knew his name , I knew Tod Caviness as “ The Wingman ”. A reporter for the Orlando Sentinel , Caviness covered the news in Central Florida that seemed the most relevant to my existence at the time . His beat was nightlife . I started to follow his content in 2012 , and met him as a human person a few years later . He was taller than I ’ d pictured him to be , and an articulate performer . Last year , after over a decade as a staff writer , he turned in his wings .
But he didn ’ t put down his pen . Caviness still writes regularly — mostly funny , short essays and fi ction — but admits he ’ s “ as prone to personal , heartfelt poetry as the next drunk .” I wager a guess that poetry might be of particular nostalgic value to him , as it was this genre that brought him into his journalism career . “ Through the poetry ,” he explains , “ I met some people who were much more motivated than I was ( RIP Kelly Fitzpatrick ), who encouraged me to start writing short reviews and features for an online magazine put out by the Orlando Sentinel . That got my foot in the door at the paper years later . Eventually , someone noticed me coming in hungover every other day , so the editors fi gured they might as well give me a nightlife column . It ’ s no longer my day job , but I ’ m still freelancing an article here and there .”
The end of his tenure at the Sentinel wasn ’ t the end of his romance with current affairs . Caviness created a monthly , curated literary event themed around the news . “ The writers I know — myself included — tend to be
Orlando ’ s Art Scene , v . 1.5
inspired by things in the news anyway . How can you not be ? We live in those ‘ interesting times ’ the Chinese warned us about . It ’ s also a good guarantee that the writing is going to be fresh every month .” As an attendee of this showcase , I can attest to this . While the work is all linked by the current events theme , the content produced by our local Central Florida authors is dynamic . Caviness values this . “ It ’ s like Christmas every month for me . Most of the time , I know what the authors are going to write about , but their take on it almost always exceeds expectations . For the most part , people don ’ t take the easy bait — the Trump
The event is called Loose Lips and takes place on the fi rst Tuesday of the month at Mills50 staple , Lil Indies . The venue is a cozy one . Monday night bartender Bennett Bynum describes the vibe as “ nostalgic and homey . Like you ’ re drinking in a friend ’ s house .” When he was crafting this event , Caviness knew he wanted Loose Lips to take place in an environment like that . “ I love the specifi c fl avor of reading aloud in bars — it feels more like conversation , somehow . And despite the old adage about not discussing politics in bars , that is what people do .” I ask what ’ s next for him and he briefl y tells me about “ a poetry festival [ he ’ s ] lazily planning for next year .” He has a chapbook he ’ s shopping around , but for now he says , “ Loose Lips is my comfy chair .”
photos by Mary McGinn
You can see more at : Loose Lips at Lil Indies , on the first Tuesday of every month located at 1036 N . Mills Ave .
Orlando , FL 32803
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