What inspired your poem this month?
For this poem, I wanted to explore the coarsening of political discourse, as well as discourse in general - the constant need to cut people down, ‘school’ or make others feel small.
Who do you think writes well on the topic of change?
I admire the work of Suli Breaks and I think Andrew McMillian writes about personal transformation beautifully. I also admire how Kei Miller explores the relationship between politics and culture in ‘The Cartographer Tries to Map a Way to Zion’.
Poetry has provided me with a community
Why do you think poetry is a good way to talk about change?
I think poetry is a good vehicle for the exploration of personal change - the concise nature of the genre forces the writer to continually ask, is that what I mean? Is that how I feel?
I’m not sure poetry is a medium that lends itself to the open exploration of political issues. I think there may be a spoken word culture (with its own set of norms and values) and I’m not sure where freedom fits into that. It seems as though certain political opinions are celebrated while others are silenced and I’d like to explore this in future work.
How has poetry changed your life?
Poetry has provided me with a community. Although I may feel conflicted by aspects of it, I hope to be able to develop the skill and confidence needed to contribute to conversations that I feel are of importance.
