El Jones, HRM's Poet Laureate
Image sourced from:
http://www.halifax.ca/culture/publicart/PoetLaureate.html |
By Ekaterina Sushko
Arts East contributor Ekaterina Sushko was
delighted when El Jones, HRM’s Poet Laureate (2013-2015), recently presented at
her Gender and Law class at Saint Mary’s University. She shares her impressions:
This girl can talk about
Halifax…about cultural issues and the government... about rape…This girl can
talk about pussy and make the crowd laugh; and each poem creates a unique
experience for the audience. It is educational and so alive.
It is not talking about
something abstract we don’t know about – it brings up something we all are aware
of, but yet fail to deal with sometimes, because on the surface everything
looks good (nice).
El Jones’ poetry can be
cultural entertainment, but what stands out is it can also be a wake-up call
and a huge inspiration. This young lady is not afraid to address those who are
being bullied, oppressed or discriminated against, even though this
discrimination can be ‘polite’ and hard to identify.
Being Halifax’s poet
laureate, El Jones is not only a poet, but also an activist and a teacher. You
can see how these diverse roles are reflected vividly in her spoken word and each
brings its own flavour. Her poetry is a reminder. It is activism in and of itself
and can be angry, even disturbing for some of us, but it is wonderfully fair
(honest).
Her poetry evokes
emotion and reminds us about social issues while being aesthetically enjoyable
(and sometimes funny) at the same time.
If you appreciate poetry
and also want to learn more about hidden social issues – hidden, but still
happening – around you, check El Jones out!
Ekaterina Sushko is living in Halifax for three
years while studying at Saint Mary’s University. In her free time, she teaches
belly dancing, sings in choirs, and writes music and artistic reviews,
experiencing all kinds of cultures that can be met in Canada.