Sharp Pens
Sharp Pens is a Detroit-based creative platform that exists to amplify writers, pay poets, and build community through storytelling. Founded by True Avery, Sharp Pens operates at the intersection of art, healing, and visibility—giving emerging and established voices the space to be heard, honored, and sharpened.
What started as a simple open mic has blossomed into a dynamic ecosystem of events, showcases, workshops, slams, merch drops, and tours. Whether through our flagship Sharpen My Pen open mic series, our Certified Pens paid showcases, or the Sharp Poetry Slam, our mission is rooted in paying writers for their art, creating stages that challenge and celebrate, and offering a home to raw, real, and necessary truth.