Among the more pretentious activities conceivable, poetry readings at an independent film theatre would probably make the cut on most people’s lists. Visions of idealistic students literally proclaiming an art that some see as frivolous, or at the least economically foolish, come rushing into one’s imagination.

Senior Nathan Brand of Lawrenceville, however, relishes poetry and the readings it inspires for quite the opposite reason.

“In my mind the best sort of poetry is that which is not pretentious, but deals with the natural world and human experience rather than with something contrived,” Brand said.

This is not just Brand’s favorite poetry to read but also the sort he strives to create. Tonight at Ciné the creative writing student, along with five other poets, will read his original work in a way that he hopes is real and honest rather than highfalutin or pretentious.

Brand began writing poetry in his high school AP English class and realized his potential when his teacher submitted his very first poem for publication in a magazine.

“Really having it published in that magazine was a sort of scam,” Brand said. “It’s like saying, ‘we’ll publish your work, but you have to pay $60 to see it in print.’ This was discouraging in some ways, but in the end it encouraged me to further pursue creative writing.”

And that is exactly what the amateur poet did upon enrolling at the University. Although he experimented in other areas of writing, Brand soon settled on poetry as his concentration.

“Not because it’s my favorite thing to write,” he said. “But it’s what I’m best at.”

Well, conceiving poetry in private is one thing, but reading one’s work aloud is quite another. Encouraging the principle that written work should be shared and experienced by others, one of Brand’s professors recommended him for a poetry reading about a year ago.

Although Brand had never done anything of the sort before, he was honored by the recommendation and agreed to participate.

“I’ve been recommended for a number of poetry readings since then,” he said. “That’s usually how these things go. You don’t sign up for them, people have to keep recommending you.”

Bill Bray, a poetry enthusiast who hopes to make this an annual event at Ciné, invited Brand to participate in tonight’s reading.

Brand attributes his recommendations over the past year in part to his self-described “organic” style of poetry.

“My poetry is very character driven, and it’s organic in that it grows out of itself,” Brand said. “At the heart it’s an attempt to express humanness.”