Poet uses writing to make sense of the world

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Story and photo by Taylor Weeks, Student writer

Thomas University welcomed Courtney Faye Taylor, part of this year’s Georgia Poetry Circuit, on Feb. 7 for a poetry reading to celebrate Black History Month.

Poet Courtney Faye Taylor (left) talks with TU students following a reading on campus Feb. 7 as part of the Georgia Poetry Circuit and Arts for the Community at Thomas University.

She presented excerpts from her book “Concentrate,” which covers topics of the African-American experience from the perspective of a black woman.

“The poems in this book examine black girlhood, racial and sexual violence,” Taylor said. “I access these themes through the story of Lakesha Harlins, a 15-year-old black girl who was killed in Los Angeles in 1991 by a Korean shopkeeper named Soon Ja Du. Most of the poems don’t have titles. They’re meant to be experienced all together, like one long poem.”

The poems ranged from the topics Taylor reminisced about, such having her mother style her hair on a Sunday afternoon, to the fallout of the 1994 L.A. riots that sparked violence between Korean store owners and African-American residents.

 Taylor spared no topic when reading her poetry to the students and faculty present. To her, poetry means more than telling a story or relaying a message. It’s all about trying to find inspiration from the world through her eyes, she explained.

“To me, being a poet means being open to receiving messages from the world,” Taylor said. “In the act of writing, I digest the world and make sense of it. I’m trying to make art from it.”

The event, part of Arts for the Community at Thomas University, lasted for an hour in Smith-Bonvillian Hall, with a lunch and meet-and-greet afterward where students could talk with Taylor.

This performance, as well as all ACTU events, was supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. Georgia Council for the Arts also receives support from its partner agency, the National Endowment for the Arts. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

For more information regarding future ACTU events, please visit the ACTU Facebook page at www.facebook.com/actu31792, call -229-227-6964 or email actu@thomasu.edu.

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