Rhyme Immemorial

Human beings continue to find new and insane ways to challenge each other. Think stunning feats of endurance like Mount Everest and hot-dog-eating contests.

Twenty-four hours straight of open-mic poetry is of a similar epic nature, a fact not lost on David Tabor, who will hold down the fort at ChyroArts Venue during the 24-Hour Poetry Festival. "I'm looking at it like a road trip," explains Tabor, who will attempt to get through a whole day's (and night's) worth of nonstop, read-aloud verse. The literary marathon is open to anyone, and Tabor's hoping for a good mix of people, from local poets to curious folks who wander in and catch a whiff of poetic inspiration themselves. (Naps and sandwich breaks are allowed, BTW.)

The 15-year wordsmith veteran will read some of his own poems as well as anything else that catches his fancy. However, hosting duties -- such as keeping poems and readers rotating through while the clock ticks by -- will be the true test of heroism, according to Tabor. "The biggest challenge will be to keep myself entertained," he says.

The spoken-word marathon takes place from 6 p.m. Saturday, April 5, until 6 p.m. Sunday, April 6.