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On Thursday, two women shared their lives through poetry to a small gathering of people in Soderburg Auditorium in Jenness Hall. The two speakers were Laura Mullen and Kathleen Ossip.
Ossip began the event, reading pieces from her book, “The Cold War.” Many of her poems centered on the theme that life is a journey. She is of Italian heritage and feels very connected to Dante, a revered Italian poet from the 13th century.
The concluding poem and most profound of her pieces was “The Deer Path,” based on her experience driving down a road called Deer Avenue in a town full of privileged kids.
Most of her poetry is based either on experience or on a new way of writing poetry, mash-ups. Mash-ups are made up more than experiences, but of all sorts of outside sources of writing, such as spam, emails and newspaper articles.
Ossip is not the only one experimenting this way; Mullen also had several pieces written in a similar style.
Mullen read from some stand-alone pieces and a new project she was working on. Her poems were more along the lines of stream of consciousness writing, but she recited more structured pieces as well.
“The Bride is in the Details” took the cake. It was not only a construct of Mullen’s mind but she also used outside sources of writings, primarily excerpts from bridal magazines.
Both women had distinct voices and raised many issues. Ossip addressed the issues of 9/11, biological warfare and made comments through her writing on socioeconomic status. Mullen addressed poverty and her obsession with being and appearing perfect.
The readings were followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience. Throughout the readings, the audience appeared riveted and enthusiastic by chuckling in the right places and clapping earnestly at the end of each poet’s turn.
They were equally enthralled during the Q&A. That was how the audience learned of the new style of writing each poet used. Mullen called it the “ecology of appropriation using what is already present and being frugal with it.”
One audience member also addressed the issue of rhyme in poetry. Most professors tell their students not to rhyme so as to avoid being cliché. However, these ladies did not agree.
“Rhyme is great,” Mullen said. “It’s a materiality of media. Once it gets to a certain point, rhyme becomes music.”
Ossip agreed and added that “rhyme is pleasure, and why would you want to be cut off from pleasure?”
She qualified that statement by saying that if a poet uses rhyme they have to do something new and different to mix it up.
They were also asked why they chose to do mash-ups. Ossip said it was out of an impulse to bring reality onto the page and create an openness to everything. Mullen agreed and added that it is recognition that creates status of art.
If someone recognizes a piece of poetry from a news article or another form of print media, the status of that poem will be raised in the reader’s mind.
The final question asked was whether either of the poets felt that it was her duty to write about the sensitive issues they covered.
“No one writes poetry as their duty,” Mullen said.
Ossip added, “Writing is a compulsion and a pleasure, but then again, to make something new is a political act.”
They went on to say that although they felt no duty to write about the issues, in writing about them, they made a statement and that is what is important.
The New Writing Series is meant to expose students to new types of writing and new authors, expanding their cultural horizons. The next reading will be by Ken Irby and Pierre Joris on Sept. 29 at 4:30 p.m.
