Poetry panel reflects on art in 21st century

Extra chairs were loaded into the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center Grand Hall on Monday night as students and faculty filled in for The State of Black Art, the first annual poetry reading and panel discussion presented by the Black Graduate Student Association.

“A lot of times with poetry, people feel disengaged because it talks about things that aren’t pertaining to life,” BGSA President Ciara Miller said. “I felt like this would be a good way for people to get engaged with poetry as well, because poetry is supposed to talk about things, spark revolutions, and it’s not quite happening.”

Following a performance by a local saxophonist, BGSA played an audio clip of African-American poet and activist Amiri Baraka to help prepare the crowd for the night’s theme of “poetry that kills.”

Four masters in fine arts students, including Miller, began the evening by reading poems covering topics from growing up in Kentucky to oppressive eighth grade math teachers.

“I’m sometimes a reluctant reader, but I’m excited to add some feminine energy to the very masculine panel,” said Ife-Chudeni Oputa, one of the four female student poets.

The graduate students were followed by readings by IU faculty members Ross Gay and Adrian Matejka, along with Kyle Dargan, an IU alumnus and assistant professor of literature and creative writing at American University.

All three are authors of poetry collections and have received national recognition.
Matejka had the audience laughing with references to the rap group Public Enemy. While a piece by Dargan was introspective, it kept things light with a reference to Will Ferrell’s character Ricky Bobby in the 2006 comedy film “Talladega Nights.”

“Ninety-eight percent of people will die sometime in their lives,” Dargan said to chuckles in the audience. “I’ll see it when I believe it.”

After the seven performers finished, the event transitioned into a panel discussion led by Gay, Magejka and Dargan. Audience members were free to ask questions regarding the role of art and poetry in the 21st century.

“What I’ve found is that a lot of the poems that seemed to get praised aren’t always hitting at the issues that I see,” Miller said. “I’m from Chicago where last year there were over 500 homicides in the city, so I felt like it would be a good conversation to talk about what poetry is being promoted and what isn’t.”