How Poetry Marches Democracy Forward
Spoken Word Artists Discuss the Power of Language in a ‘Post-Truth’ Nation
The connection between poems and American politics runs deep. Presidents from John Quincy Adams to Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama are published poets. Poets help usher in new presidential eras at inaugural ceremonies and inspire (and participate in) on-the-ground activism. Poems, even, insofar as they trade in hope, uncertainty, and the art of persuasion, are like political campaigns.
But does our democracy need poets? This was the question guiding a Zócalo/Da Poetry Lounge spoken word performance and conversation last night at ASU California Center in downtown Los Angeles.
Beau Sia opened the …