Course:Cuties Poetry Night
| CRWR 501P 003 |
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| Advanced Writing of Poetry |
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| Important Course Pages |
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Cuties (@cutiesla) is a Black owned and operated queer community organization run by Sasha Jones in Los Angeles. In 2021, Sasha began hosting monthly outdoor sunset poetry readings for queer poets, and since that first incredible evening atop Radio Hill overlooking the city, I’ve made it to almost every reading.
Two things make these evenings so special: the poets chosen and the audience ethos. BIPOC poets are centered, and every other month focuses strictly on Black poets, so this space is not dominated by whiteness like many other poetry events; instead, it is full of richer emotion and experience. The poets have a diverse background: some are published poets, some are practiced slam poets, and some are getting up to the mic for the very first time, expressing how nervous and new they are— and then dropping an incredible poem on us. It is a beautiful experience to see these new poets blossom and to be reminded of all of the ways to be a poet. The poems are personal, tender, angry, hilarious, and often deeply heartbreaking and healing. The experience is not only creative, but also emotional, mental, and communal. The large audience supports the poets wholeheartedly, through enthusiastic cheering, encouraging comments, and vocal reactions. The poet and the poem are engaged with, not only as art, but also as a gem of vulnerability in the care of this community.
Regularly reading at these nights encouraged me to keep up a steady writing practice, helped me develop more familiarity with reading aloud, and gave me the sense of how I want to communicate with my audience. When I write poems, I often write them for the ears of my Cuties community. But I think my favorite nights were the ones where I didn’t read; I just got to listen and feel and cheer and be reminded of the magic of meaningful poetry and its rightful place in community.