Some poets break us out of our own viewpoint to see life from a different angle. Distinguished poet and novelist Mahogany Browne spent an hour utilizing poetry to tell her story as she discussed her craft during a recent Upper School assembly as the newest installment of the annual Visiting Writers Series.
The Visiting Writer Series is supported by the Betty Lou Blumberg Endowed Chair of English. The program was established in honor of former English Department Chair Betty Lou Blumberg and continues to allow the English Department to invite writers and poets to campus for reading and literary workshops. Mrs. Blumberg was in attendance for the assembly as was alumna Elizabeth Levine Reede 1980. Current English Department Chair Paul Gustafson coordinated the event.
Ms. Browne began the presentation reading excerpts from a selection of her work including Vinyl Moon, followed by discussions of her inspiration sources and why poetry is her superpower. She revealed that her storytelling is inspired by what she reads, hears, and sees from books, music, movies, and pop culture to her own life experiences and practice of meditation. She further elaborated that poetry gave her an outlet and new ways to love herself and lift up her own voice.
“I am never not reading. I am never not writing,” said Ms. Browne. “I do say poetry is a transformative tool because I believe it allows us to use poetry as a mirror, and we can look very deeply and intently at ourselves. There's power in being seen, in being heard, in claiming space. Poetry allows us to take a step back and understand the things we see and feel.”
The presentation ended with a communal meditation exercise. Following the assembly, Ms. Browne hosted a poetry writing workshop for a select group of students. In the workshop, the students were tasked with turning stories into poems. The first prompt asked the students to write about the moment in which they realized they had power with the following prompt asking to detail three moments of tenderness. Using these prompts, the students began crafting their stories. Once the students were done, Ms. Browne asked the students to share their first draft where she offered feedback and advice on how to pull out thoughts and emotions in a more defined way to adhere to their natural voices.
“The workshop was a collective moment of creativity, the writing process, feedback, and an overall shared experience of using your voice to advocate for topics you care about,” said Mr. Gustafson. “Ms. Browne truly encouraged the students to take inspiration from all parts of life and write about it.”
Ms. Browne is a poet, writer, organizer and educator. She has authored myriad novels including Vinyl Moon, Chlorine Sky, Chrome Valley, and Black Girl Magic. She has received fellowships from Agnes Gund, Air Serenbe, Cave Canem, Poets House, Mellon Research, and Rauschenberg. Additionally, she received an honorary doctorate from Marymount Manhattan College. She is the first-ever poet-in-residence at the Lincoln Center and writes across the genre as a resident of Brooklyn, NY.