On Tuesday, Oct. 8, acclaimed poet and this year’s Sojka Poet-in-Residence Danez Smith held a reading of their poetry in Bucknell Hall, pulling from a range of their multiple publications and collections. The reading was followed by a brief Q&A session.
Smith is a writer and performer who draws from their lifelong experiences of as a black and queer person, as well as being HIV positive— a status they refer to as being “poz.” Amongst their accolades are the Kate Tufts Discovery Award, the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry, the NAACP Image Award in Poetry, the National Book Critics Circle Award and the National Book Award for Poetry. They are the author of four collections of poetry, the most recent being “Bluff,” released only a few weeks ago on Aug. 20, along with “Homie” and “Don’t Call Us Dead.” They presently reside in Minneapolis, “near their people,” as they self-described.
Smith’s work has accrued ample circulation and attention, featured in Vanity Fair, The New York Times, The New Yorker, GQ, Best American Poetry and on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. They are also the recipient of several fellowships, notable ones being from the Poetry Foundation, Princeton and United States Artists.
As a presenter, Smith’s booming voice echoed throughout the auditorium, their fiery criticisms against the bounds of society and convention rattling the windows. Every poem was followed by a loud ovation from the relatively packed pews of the space, Smith’s irreverent attitude towards religion brewing a contrast with the original purpose of Bucknell Hall.
While reading, Smith consistently made a point to interact with the audience, encouraging attendees to join in with calls of “Free Palestine” as it was called for in relation to their poetry, and invoking reactions of reverent silence to the pure emotion broadcast as they brought back still-fresh memories of collectively painful experiences. In one particular poem, Smith recounted a story of fear and apprehension tied to their final experience of publicly coming out: revealing their true self to their barber. Minutes of suspense hovered in the room as the audience followed Smith’s nail-biting narrative of an interaction that can so often end poorly—the relief in the room at the conclusion of the work, which described an affirming outcome, was palpable.
Smith presented their poetry with an undeniable passion and throughout their selections ran messages encouraging every single person to be true to themselves and to stand up for what they believe—a message of sensitivity but not weakness.
During the Q&A, Smith stated regarding the craft of poetry, in response to a question about writing on behalf of and alongside affinity groups: “All poetry is a negotiation between risk and caution.” Later in their reading, Smith amended the statement to fit the progression of their work: “All poetry is a negotiation between fearlessness and fear.”
Following the Tuesday night reading, Smith also held a Craft Talk and Workshop on Thursday at 12pm in the Hildreth-Mirza Great Room. This was not the only opportunity extended to Bucknell student poets and writers, as there were also six 40-minute one-on-one conferences with Smith made available to students through application.
