MCC commemorates poetry month
Alli Cripe
Mesa Legend
Mesa Community College hosted an evening of poetry Thursday, April 19. Poetry Month in the Desert Part Two was coordinated by Humanities bringing poets Bojan Louis and Felicia Zamora to the Elsner library, room LB 300. Poetry Month in the Desert was hosted April 5 with poets, Natalie Diaz and Eloisa Amezcua. During both events, food, lemonade, and coffee were provided by local restaurants. Attendees were a mix of students, faculty, and outside guests. Bojan Louis is a member of the Navajo Nation. He is a fiction writer, essayist, teacher, and editor at RED INK: An International Journal of Indigenous Literature, Arts, & Humanities Bojan Louis read poems from his 2017 book, Currents, fresh off from a book tour supporting his work.
He read selections such as ‘Prayer’ and ‘Evening breath dust.’ There is a steady rhythm to Bojan’s poetry and a fluidity throughout. The cover of his book, Currents, is a drawing of a horse white against a black background, drawn by his father. It signifies electricity, a theme that runs throughout the book of poems as Bojan was an electrician for over a decade while pursuing his Masters at ASU. Bojan teaches composition at ASU and encourages the creative writing programs at MCC. “You have a really great program here. A really great library.” He encourages other students interested in poetry and writing to pursue their dreams. “Go for it.”
Felicia Zamora is the 2017 Poet Laureate of Fort Collins, CO, and author of a poetry book, Of Form & Gather winner of the 2016 Andres Montoya Poetry Prize. From her book, Of Form & Gathering, Felicia read poems inspired by a variety of influences including her childhood and nature documentaries. ‘And in wonder,’ was one of the first poems she read, a tribute to her mother. She uses simple words to explain grand ideas and was inspired to use semicolons in her poems when an associate told her semicolons could never be used in poetry.
“Every year we do national poetry month events.” Dyadira Fajardof, Programs and Grants Coordinator of Humans states, “Last year we actually went to the San Carlos reservation and worked with community colleges there.” Dyadira Fajardo spoke further on the importance of events such as Poetry Month in the Desert as well as opportunities available for Mesa Community College students. “We’re always looking to involve community colleges and local programs. Things like poetry might not seem like something accessible in all places. I hope we can continue to foster relationships with community colleges throughout the state.”
