The LEAPsters headed to a beloved location in Houston, Brazos Bookstore, for an evening of poetry. Our featured poet of the evening was Danez Smith, who released their (Smith prefers the pronouns “they,” “them” and “their”) newest collection of poems in a work entitled “Homie”.
The evening also featured two very special guests, a member of Chavez High School’s Lobo Slam Poetry Club, and Tarfia Faizullah.
A member of the Chavez High School’s Lobo Slam Poetry club preformed a piece that really warmed the room as it filled with “woos” and snaps from the packed audience.
Tarfia Faizullah performed “Self Portrait of As Mango,” which has a theme of exploring identity as a minority. She also performed a piece entitled “I Told the Water,” which was featured on PBS News Hour and explores how water can be seen as a villain and a life-giver.
Ms. Faizullah was kind enough to share with us some of her new material that she is working on and will be featured in her next published work…
…and this work went over well, being met with great applause.
Danez Smith began their performance by informing the crowd that as a performer they are fueled by energy received from the audience, an invitation to engage. As Smith performed several poems that explored the current political climate, hard moments in life, and the beauty of friendship, the crowd laughed and in some moments were quiet in solidarity for the sentiments expressed.
Ms. Faizullah returned and joined Danez Smith in a Q&A portion of the evening. The questions explored their individual writing process, the emotional process behind publishing a new piece of work, and how they balance telling the truth in their writing and personal relationships.
After the Q&A, the LEAPsters had the opportunity to speak with Danez Smith and thank them for the evening of poetry.
Sweet Paris Creperie
After the event, we headed to Sweet Paris Creperie in Houston. The Creperie offers a wide variety of savory and sweet crepes along with a delicious assortment of milkshakes. Some of the LEAPsters opted for the savory option like the chicken Florentine and ham & gruyere, while others tried sweeter crepes like the s’mores crepe and a classic apple cinnamon crème brulee. Our selection of milkshakes featured the tiramisu, Nutella, and very berry.
After a long evening full of laughs and great food we headed back to Huntsville.
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 