Happy National Poetry Month Honoring the community of poets that have raised me.
by Jireh Deng
P
oets, of course, still squabble between what meets the literary standards of “what is poetry,” much less what constitutes “good poetry.” Poetry critics might look at Rupi Kaur’s pithy lines and humble sketches as half-baked Instagram optics, but they can’t scoff at her 4.3 million followers on Instagram or her ascent to become a household name. Kaur’s poetry would not have been possible in the same fashion without a visual social media platform or in an age where women of color were not allowed to be published or not worthy of consideration in serious literature. It is undeniable that for a good portion of European history, our literature studies in the classroom have centered scholarship of white cisgender men. (Think Walt Whitman, Edgar Allan Poe, Shakespeare, William Wordsworth). The diversity of the poetry community has fostered my growth and nurturing as a writer.
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I remember first seeing Sarah Kay’s TED Talk that every English teacher at the time loved to share with their students. There she was, a woman with big curls, with a steady voice, inviting me to sit with her words.
“Between My Body and the Air” Anthology online book release party, where Sarah Kay was also one of our featured performers. I was then reminded of how far I have come throughout my writing career to be an officially published poet. I was given my first chance to learn poetry through a scholarship opportunity with Spoken Literature Art Movement taught by Matthew Cuban and Alyesha Wise back in the fall of 2019. I reference their work in my creative journey a lot because it was a turning point in my writI’ve seen Kay perform live at ing career. It was the first time I multiple serendipitous moments found myself in a diverse group in my own life. The first time was of LA writers who affirmed my at a reading in 2018 at The Last ability to write and perform. I Bookstore in Los Angeles, where learned how to take the stage I cried in the meet-and-greet and allow space for others to line before hugging her. Later speak their truth. that fall, she performed for my Cuban and Wise also help to freshman class at Long Beach host the Da Poetry Lounge, the State. It was my confirmation I nation’s largest open mic poetry was meant to be at this school. slams. Pre-pandemic, the space Most recently, last fall I was on Tuesday nights featured poets performing at Youth Speaks’ from all over the country and was
“Poetry at its best is anti-capitalist, anti-racist, anticolonialist and anti-imperialist.”
GRAPHIC BY JIREH DENG
