Nick Sullivan has come a long way from his first day selling Street Roots. “At first it was scary,” says Nick about the experience. “But once I get out there and I have my Street Roots shirt on and I hold up my papers, I sort of relax and it always seems to go smoothly and everyone’s really nice. It goes really well.”
Originally from Utah, Nick has been in Portland since 2008, having fallen in love with the city after coming to visit a friend. An endearing and soft-spoken guy, Nick likes to spend his days reading in the park, playing the guitar, or writing poetry. He describes music as his “full-time hobby” and is adept at several instruments including drums, guitar and piano. However, being naturally shy, Nick sometimes struggles with stage fright, which he credits Street Roots with pushing him to overcome. “That’s something that Street Roots has helped me with a little bit. Just putting myself out there and saying hi to people and making eye contact.”
Nick joined Street Roots in February after losing his job at the Oregon Zoo. He was encouraged to become a vendor after a friend recommended the program, but he was no newbie to the paper. “I’ve been reading the paper for a while. Even before I started selling it.” He is now stationed at Starbucks Laurelhurst and at the People’s Food Coop on SE 21st Avenue. In addition to the income it provides, which Nick uses for his basic needs and to keep his cell phone turned on for job hunting, selling the paper has become for him an exercise in becoming an extrovert. Nick is also thankful for the Street Roots writing group held every Wednesday morning by Vendor Coordinator Cole Merkel. Already an avid reader, he cites the collaborative spirit of the group for stimulating his poetic creativity. While for much of our interview Nick was reserved, he instantly lit up when talking about the writing group. His shyness that struck me upon our first meeting disappeared as he freely offered to share one of his most recent poems with me:
Fallen feather,
Fly by night.
Flip flap feather duster.
Bird done lost its weather buster.
Can’t brush the sky,
It can’t fold the clouds,
Festooned no more.
Broken lopsided left-right wings
Smoking, hop-a-long death can’t sing
Water off a duck’s back
til the feathers fall off.
Frightful fugitive crow,
Wait for the spiteful, virulent and snow.
In the future Nick hopes to travel and get the chance to visit the Oregon coast for the first time. He is also currently looking for a music internships, his last step in finishing up the professional music program at Portland Community College. As the Portland weather inevitably worsens, be on the lookout for Nick at a local open mic night or reading. He’ll be sure to surprise you with his authenticity, his openness and his well-honed talents.
