Before she became the first woman elected principal chief of the Cherokee Nation and the first woman to be chief of a major tribe, Wilma Mankiller published a poem about “the edges of / something called freedom.” But until now, the world has not known that this great chief, community developer, activist and author also wrote poetry throughout her life. With the support of Charlie Soap, Mankiller’s husband for over 30 years, editors Frances McCue and Greg Shaw found the magazine and nine other poems tucked randomly into boxes of paperwork stored in Mankiller’s old barn in August 2021. They wanted to publish her lost poems to show “how an activist reflected on her life through art and that art itself is activism.”
Tag: Poetry
National Youth Poet Laureate Alyssa Gaines Breaks Down the Realities for Young Women in a Post-Roe World
Young people are taking to the streets to protest, lobbying their elected officials and taking to activism in droves to make abortion accessible for those who need it. National Youth Poet Laureate Alyssa Gaines is using her writing to affirm the need for abortion care and to reach those most impacted by anti-choice legislation.
“It’s my responsibility to reach out and try to connect to those people instead of just writing them off.”
Ms. Muse: ‘Only Freeish’ in America
“For the first time in my life, I felt allergic to poetry. A radical, rogue Supreme Court decided Americans with uteruses no longer have the human right to control our own bodies but are subject to the whims of our state. I couldn’t bear to read a poem. … Then came Independence Day. The painful irony of a July 4 on the heels of such profound loss of liberty left me suddenly hungry for words. I needed poems the way some need scripture.”
The Return of Ms. Muse—Because We Need Righteous, Riotous Feminist Poetry Now More Than Ever
Welcome back to Ms. Muse, a discovery place for riotous, righteous and resonant feminist poetry that nourishes and gives voice to a rising tide of female resistance.
Teaching Students to Write Their Rage
“The Power of Feminist Writing,” a new college course at the University of Washington, Bothell, emboldened young feminist writers during a painful school term.
“I am optimistic that they will mobilize their new skills and write their rage against the most misogynist turn they will hopefully ever see in their lifetime,” said Dr. Julie Shayne, after facing a term of mass shootings and the overturning of constitutional abortion rights with her students.
A Pregnant Pause
A poem for the end of Roe v. Wade:
“the keyboard is mightier
than the sword
and our weapon lies
between our ears
not our legs
“we have marched for less
we have cried for less
yet together we burn bright
light the path for our daughters”
Teen Poet Reframes Justice System Through Incarcerated Voices
Anouk Yeh, Santa Clara County’s 2021-2022 inaugural youth poet laureate, is proud of the megaphone she’s given to incarcerated youth through weekly poetry workshops on Zoom.
The Power of Mobilizing Women in the Climate Crisis
Women are by far the group most disproportionately affected by climate change. Yet, they are regularly left out of the conversation on a global scale. The United Nations estimates 80 percent of all people displaced by climate change are women and girls, who make up only 30 percent of global and national climate decision-making bodies.
When thinking about the climate crisis, it is easy to become overwhelmed by dread and feelings of helplessness. But learning about the work of incredible women activists can provide a sense of hope and optimism as we all march forward into the impending storm. If we’re willing to listen to these women, we might actually be able to make it out of this alive. And dare I say, even better than before.
Poetry for the Rest of Us 2022
April is National Poetry Month! Since my dormant love of poetry was reignited, I’ve found it so refreshing and inspiring to read beautiful collections each year and share my thoughts with you.
I’ve included these 66 poetry titles for a variety of reasons: because they are especially unique, because I wanted to shine a light on them, they are from debut authors, indie publishers, or because they stood out to me for any other reason. I hope you find collections that will have you reflecting on how poetry moves you, challenges you and represents you.
You’re Pretty Gay, a Short Fiction Collection: “Fickle”
“Fickle” is one of several essays featured in Drew Pisarra’s latest collection of short fiction stories You’re Pretty Gay. The collection of essays draws from his own life experiences as a queer person dealing with the world’s heternormative expectations.
“I moved to Seattle. Of course, Dick followed shortly thereafter. There was no separating Dick and me. It’s been me and Dick since the beginning and it’ll be Dick and me in the end. Actually Dick and I broke up recently, I’m sorry to say. Although I swear I bumped into him at a bar last week.”