This week's moderator is Ember!
Sarah (Ember) Bricault: bio
Sarah Bricault has a PhD in neurobiology and currently works as a postdoc in that field. Her fascination with the mind and how it processes information often finds itself in her poetry, as do themes related to mental health. Sarah's work can be found in Brown Bag Online, High Shelf Press, The Poeming Pigeon, Beyond Words, Wingless Dreamer, and elsewhere. For more information on Sarah, check out SarahBricault.net.
Note: in honor of pride month, I've chosen for this week's prompts poems by LGBTQ+ identifying performance poets.
Tuesday
The prompt poem for today is "The Lesbian Reevaluates" by Blythe Baird.
As you contemplate this poem, I encourage you to think about labels and categories. Labels and categories are basically mental models for groups of people and, as statistician George E. P. Box once famously said "all models are wrong, but some are useful." What is a label you consider wrong? What is one you consider useful? What is one that is both wrong and useful? What labels do you claim? Which ones have been imposed on you by others?
Thursday
The prompt poem for today is "I Have a Crush on Shego" by Azura Tyabji
Azura found profound metaphorical meaning in and connection with characters of the show Kim Possible, a cartoon that aired in the early 2000's. This show's main arc pitted a hero (Kim Possible) against numerous cartoon villians. Her archenemy was Shego, ostensibly the "sidekick" of the show's most prominant (but buffoonish) male villian. Shego, however, was far more competant and the main conflict was between the two women.
Cartoons and other shows aimed at children have can have a profound impact on the way we see the world, but such pieces of media are often dismissed or discounted because they are "just kid's shows."
As you consider this poem, I encourage you to think on a moment of realization. Do you have an iconic memory of a time you first learned something about yourself? Alternatively, think about the media you interact with. What is something profound you learned from an experience or piece of media, especially one many people consider "simple" ? How does it feel to connect with others over this piece of media? How does it feel when others dismiss this piece of media?
Friday
The prompt poem for today is "Phases" by Kevin Kantor & Sienna Burnett
Language is complex, and often a single word can be interpreted in many different ways. Words have different connotations for different people. Sometimes, there is conflict between how a word is meant and how it is received. Other times, a word is meant exactly as it sounds, but a passing comment from one person - like calling someone's sexuality a phase, as in the above piece - can have long-lasting impact on a relationship or on another person's sense of self or safety.
In "Phases," the poets explore the many different meanings of the title word. What is one word that has been applied to you that you do not appreciate? Try writing a piece that responds to that word, or reclaims it. Or, more generally, pick a word that you love or hate, and explore the different meanings of that word.
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