This week, instead of sharing a poem, I’m sharing a poet.
My friend Deborah Emmanuel has launched a Pozible campaign for her new book Rebel Rites, a memoir about her time in prison. Technically, this isn’t poetry, though if you pledge enough, she’ll also throw in her debut collection of poetry which was published earlier this year. As to why you should support this extraordinary woman, well, let me tell you a little story.
I first met Deb at the Bali Emerging Writers Festival, and we became fast friends. As much as I love exploring new landscapes, I tend to always think of travel in terms of the people I met, which is why I value this one in particular so much. Because as lovely and weird and wonderful as Indonesia proved to be, Deb is all those things and more: kind and generous and warm, the kind of person who lights up the room around her.
My favourite memory from that fever-trip week is pretty innocuous: we shared a cab on the way to a panel we were both speaking on, and since I had just finished writing a poem about a teacher I met in the mountains, she asked me to read it. I felt a bit foolish doing so, to be honest, and not just because it was a first draft, but because like most people, I’ve been conditioned to think of poetry as this naff thing, not something to be shared as casually as conversation, as easily as flame.
When I was done, she recited one of her spoken word pieces. We were just two people in the back seat exchanging poems, occasionally snacking on mixed nuts. I don’t know what the cab driver made of it, he must have thought us mad, but I loved that moment for its ordinariness. It’s also when I realised that on top of being such a great person, she’s also a damned talented artist, and I was very lucky that circumstances conspired to have us meet.
‘Okay, chill’ you’re probably thinking, but I have to write this and I have to be this effusive because I don’t have any money to spare and I feel guilty as hell. Because this book deserves to be made, because it’s always worth hearing what she has to say. Soon as I have a job again, I know I’ll be contributing. In the meantime, you should definitely check out her work and if you have dollars to spare, then spare them no more. You’ll find plenty more info on her campaign page, and you can see for yourself whether what you read/listen to suits you.
Not enough people give back to poetry, as much as poetry gives to us all, so I hope at least a few of you head on over to help her out. That’s my spiel done – I promise I’ll return to my regularly scheduled poetry-talk next week. Until then, keep reading.
