Open mics can be intimidating; no one wants to go after that diva belting out Whitney Houston, but at the Out of the Box open mic at the William Way LGBT Community Center, it’s more like a group of friends gathered around in a support group with songs, poetry, performance and laughter. I had the chance to speak to the host Z Murphy about the history of the event and a few of her side gigs as well. Some responses have been edited for length or clarity.

Well, this is fun. I just realized that I interviewed your mother, Pandora Scooter 10 years ago! Tell me a little about you and the family? I grew up in Highland Park, New Jersey, which is right across the bridge from Rutgers, New Brunswick. The town is one square mile. I think its population is 10,000 people, and it’s a predominantly Jewish

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