>>PREVIEW
STORY CIRCLE/WOMAN SONG
Sunday, April 22
Art Gallery of Calgary
What is the song of woman, and why does it get a specific place at the table at the Spoken Word festival this year?
To answer the what, let me tell you that during a recent groundbreaking study on stress management, scientists were astounded to discover that women process stress differently than men. While men display what we’ve come to think of as classic stress responses – fight or flight – women seem to respond to stress by grouping together, bonding, supporting each other. All stress tests upon which our previous knowledge was based came from the study of men under stress.
The lesson is straightforward: the voices of women and women’s experience of the world bring different insights to the table.
The what is less easily answered than the why. The array of poets presented in this performance is bewilderingly diverse, not seeming to share subject matter, style, or even sense of humour within their work. They are from Victoria, Calgary, Toronto, Jamaica and from urban and rural settings. They are anywhere from 23 to over 60, with completely disparate cultural heritages. So what is the common denominator that groups these writers and performers together?
Says Calgary poet/performer Moe Clarke, "Events like this create space for our voices, our perspectives. As I develop as an artist, I’m developing more of an awareness of the importance of stories."
Says d’bi young on her website, "It is my honour to be among the griots of the global Afrikan village retelling our forgotten herstories. Storytelling was taught to me by my mother. Taught to her by her mother and her mother before her. Storytelling grounded in responsibility and accountability to the community/a reflection of integrity."
Says Wendy Morton from Victoria, "My poems are all stories. I believe that poetry is the shortest distance between two hearts – it’s a way of connecting people."
The art of storytelling is an old one, and in terms of human history, one that has always belonged to the poets. It was common to have a person whose job it was to remember the past, lay it on the carpenter’s bench, sand, turn and hone it until it shone with grace, and re-present it to us, the wonder of our intimate selves articulated.
"I think that spoken word is seen as a male-dominated medium," says Clarke. "I take it as a very great honour to be part of this group. Our voices are very diverse.
"I think we embody, if you will, a variety of goddess figures," she continues. "We are all so different, but the fact that we’re all using our voices in this way creates a commonality between us. As different as our stories are going to be, the fact that we’re sharing them is the important thing."
young, a gifted dub poet, made her explosive Calgary debut at the Folk Festival two years ago, where her eloquent poetic howls of anguish and outrage reduced more than a few audience members to tears and shaking. Morton, on the other hand, is an entertainingly unpredictable mélange of rock star and grandmother, who doesn’t consider herself a performance poet so much as a poet who likes to read her poems out loud, and who is responsible for the genius marketing campaign Random Acts of Poetry. Ali Riley used to sing for psychobilly group Sacred Heart of Elvis.
Clearly, this ain’t going to be your grandmother’s poetry event. But in the end, storytelling is the most accessible kind of art form there is. And if there’s one thing these artists have in common, it’s the ability to tell a story.
Morton says, "My understanding of who I am in the world has been deepened as a result of poetry. Hearing poetry is important – all of us together, learning from each other. Poetry is a way of connecting with yourself."
And Clarke adds a sly poke: "I’d say to the men – don’t be inhibited by the fact that it’s ‘women’s’ poetry. Come along and check it out." |
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