Poetry is not a luxury
It's as vital as democracy
“Poetry is not a luxury. It is a vital necessity of our existence.” —Audre Lorde
I turned 34 yesterday. 34 years around the sun. Honestly, birthdays don’t really feel the same during quarantine. No spontaneous road trips, no flights to New York. Though yesterday felt… fine, there was still a major gift I, and the rest of the world, received. The best birthday present ever? Witnessing Amanda Gorman perform her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” at the presidential inauguration on Wednesday. Yes, young queen!
I first heard about Amanda Gorman a few years ago, when I was looking for writing programs for girls that I could support. I was excited to discover Girls Write Now in New York, and WriteGirl in Los Angeles. Both nonprofit organizations champion our young women through writing, and WriteGirl “promotes creativity and self-expression to empower girls.” And Gorman, the first National Youth Poet Laureate, is a WriteGirl alum! Gorman is now also the youngest poet to ever perform their work at a presidential inauguration. This makes my heart soooo happy.
Gorman’s reading and my nearly-midlife age has got me thinking a lot about our future as a country, who is shaping it now, who is going to shape it, and how, exactly, do we create the change we want to see? The work of WriteGirl, Gorman, and the poem Gorman read at the inauguration point to what the great Audre Lorde was talking about in 1985: “For women, then, poetry is not a luxury.”
Lorde says that poetry gives us as human beings, and especially as women of color, the power to reclaim ourselves and our lives. By giving language to the unspeakable, by expressing the indefinable, we declare our independence, our creativity, our worth. This declaration of worth is not a banner to be read by dominant society, rather it is a reminder to and for ourselves that we are whole, multi-faceted, and capable of more than we ever dreamed possible.
The past four years (and of course this one, as the work is never done) made me nearly frantic with wondering: What can I do to help? How can I contribute? I was signing petitions, I was donating money where I could, but it didn’t feel like enough. What else could I be doing?
The answer was, as these things often are, staring me in the face. Write, girl! Write. I came to the realization, which should have been so obvious, as I’ve been writing since kindergarten: My writing is my activism. My activism is my writing.
Lorde was onto this when she wrote her landmark text, “Poetry is Not a Luxury,” in 1985. I remember reading it for the first time in college, and it was like someone cracked open my skull and poured in a holy mixture of fire and glitter. (Not like craft-party glitter, more like tiger’s eye glitter. Earthy, silty glitter.)
“Poetry Is Not a Luxury” is a contemplation of poetry not just as a creative genre, but as a creative force. Lorde describes poetry as a mode of expression that transcends.
Poetry equips the poet with the ability to interpret and translate the world around her, as well as the world within; it is more persuasive than propaganda because it speaks to the soul, more eloquent than mere speech because it communicates the stuff of dreams. Poetry is not a frivolous endeavor; poetry is power.
And nothing embodied this fact more perfectly than Amanda Gorman on Wednesday. Witnessing a 22-year-old Black woman recite her flawless work to the first woman Vice-President, a woman of Black and South Asian descent, was honestly something I didn’t think I would ever see in my lifetime. Watching Vice-President Harris fist-bump Obama?! Thrilling. Learning that VP Harris requested Eugene Goodman, the Black Capitol Police officer who diverted an angry mob from entering the Senate chamber on January 6th, escort her during the inauguration? So satisfying!
Democracy hasn’t been “restored” or rehauled or revamped overnight, nor may I live to see the dream fully realized, but I am still excited about this new dawn. President Biden is still an old white man, but he’s absolutely a hell of a lot better than Trump. IMHO, it’s time for old white men to recede to the sidelines, but obviously, America isn’t ready yet. But we’ll keep fighting for change. We’ll celebrate our wins. We’ll revel in these moments: Michelle Obama’s inauguration outfit (PERFECTION), Vice-President Harris being sworn in on Thurgood Marshall’s bible, Gorman’s poetry (not to mention her stunning outfit, too!).
There’s so much work to do, and there’s also so much magic. All of this beauty, all of this excitement, these riches of creativity and community. I haven’t felt this kind of joy in a long time. As a writer, as a Black woman, Gorman’s rise is what gives me hope. Our words have power. Our creativity can create change. We must speak and write and paint and perform like our lives depend on it. Because they do.
“Poetry is an art form, but, to me, it’s also a weapon, it’s also an instrument.” —Amanda Gorman in an interview with Jeffrey Brown for PBS NewsHour.
Some everyday magic:
Action: This goes without saying but I will say it anyway! Support writing programs like WriteGirl! I love their tagline: “Never underestimate the power of a girl and her pen!” The nonprofit pairs girls with women who mentor them in creative writing, and the benefits of this mentorship and the workshops the organization offers are evident! You want proof? See below ;)
Follow: You knew this was coming: Amanda Gorman. I was thrilled to read in the New York Times that she has a children’s book coming out this fall, as well as her debut book of poetry featuring the inaugural poem she read on Wednesday, “The Hill We Climb.” It’s mesmerizing watching this star perform her work. Those balletic hand gestures? Come on!
Listen: “Rise Up” by Andra Day. Her performance of this song at the inauguration’s virtual parade, interwoven with footage of 10-year-old skater Kaitlyn Sanders performing her routine on Washington DC’s Black Lives Matter Plaza, gave me literal chills and brought tears to my eyes. So stunning.
Move: Faith Hunter’s Morning Yoga Practice is 30 minutes of bliss. She seamlessly blends breath practices, movement, and meditation into a short period of time that doesn’t feel rushed. A great way to start the day, or a sweet midday reset (just don’t eat right before, as Breath of Fire is offered and you don’t want a full stomach when doing this practice). You’ll want to subscribe to Faith Hunter’s channel or her newsletter and keep up-to-date on her latest meditation + movement offerings.
Watch: Amanda Seales: I Be Knowin’. This stand-up special had me gooooing! You might, as I did, recognize Seales from Issa Rae’s groundbreaking HBO show Insecure, where she has the know-it-all-friend role down, but I was still not prepared for the genius she throws around like confetti. Seriously, she slays in this special. And if you’re on IG and not already following her, do so now! Her reaction to the Gayle King interview with Miya Ponsetto (the woman who wrongly accused jazz musician Keyon Harrold’s son, a 14-year-old Black boy, of stealing her phone and then tackled him, SMH) is EVERYTHING.
Read: bone by Yrsa Daley Ward. Talk about the power of poetry! I had the privilege of attending a reading by Ward a few years ago, and she is an Artist in every sense of the word. It’s a magical feeling when I feel seen in a book, when I recognize myself in the pages in front of me. The poems are autobiographical, but the work is universal. From the book:
“You will come away bruised.
You will come away bruised
but this will give you poetry.”
I hope you’re still riding the high from Wednesday, and will keep these moments in your heart as we head into another difficult year. Enjoy the weekend! See you next week.
On point 👏🏽 Also, Amanda Seales podcast, Small Doses is a must ❤️