The three women, Andrea, Sonya and Denise, are professional slam poets who have been on national tour, giving both performances and leading workshops. While this workshop was based in their poetry, or the poetry of their peers, the attention was also drawn to issues of gender, sexuality, and the ways in which society both liberates and restricts identity. After each of them read a poem, we would have the opportunity to discuss the content of the poem, the lines that struck us most, or more general themes of functions of society. Then, we were given the opportunity to free write in response to the discussion for a few minutes before the next poem was read.
Andrea was the only one of the three who performed one of her own poems for the workshop. I was amazed by how intimate her style is, not just letting us in but sucking us in, allowing the group to experience her individual experience while she led us image by image through a painful life struggle. Her release at the end became our release. They were all incredible performers, speaking with such an intensity and level of control that I found myself forgetting to breathe until they did.
our conversation focused a lot on societies perceptions of gender identity, and sexuality. I was surprised to find myself so emotionally invested in a struggle that on nearly all levels is not my own. I am so happy I attended this workshop-- what amazing people, what amazing talent.
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