Poets bring the power of words to CSUMB event

By Mark Muckenfuss

A group of poets brought their ideas on racism, justice, community and more to the Writers on the Edge event Thursday evening, Nov. 14, at Cal State Monterey Bay’s World Theater. 

A crowd of over 50 people listened as featured poets Norman Antonio Zelaya, Matt Sedillo, Tony Wallin-Sato and Chris Siders presented a series of works and then sat in on a panel discussion about the creative process. CSUMB journalism student Maxfield English prefaced the event by performing a poem of his own. 

Humanities and Communications Professor Alexandria “Alie” Jones organized the event, which has been an annual tradition since 1997. 

“I think the importance of having this event is bringing in a deeper understanding of both storytelling and writing where we’re looking at the intersections of race and class and justice,” said Jones, who teaches a course on creative writing and social action.

Several of the night’s poets have performed their published works at international events. Siders is a CSUMB alum who is now based in Los Angeles.

“Having an alum perform was meaningful to me,” Jones said. “I think it was really beautiful and a testament to the students.” 

Siders performed at CSUMB’s Black Stole Ceremony in 2016. On Thursday, he read the same poem he presented at that event to the audience, a poem about enduring racism and abuse during his time as a post-grad in Marina and as a student at CSUMB.

The poem ended with the following lines (punctuation by editor):

“I’ve been too oppressed sitting quiet

And being afraid of being a bigger target.

So I’ve written this poem for you to get the nerve to speak out

And conquer your own silence.”

During the question-and-answer session, he encouraged the student writers in the audience to follow their instincts.

“Don’t try to write for others,” he said. “Write for you. It’s all about connecting with yourself. When it comes to the artistic journey, don’t be afraid to fail.”

He shared one of his own humorous failures, recalling the time he burped in the middle of reading one of his poems. He recalled pausing and starting the poem over.  

“Keep going and going,” he told the crowd. “It is a long haul, but it is very rewarding.”

There was a mix of themes during the night. Zelaya’s work is rooted in his experience in the barrio areas of San Francisco. Laced with Spanish words and phrases, his stories were often about community and relationships. 

Sedillo, the most accomplished of the poets, read in a style that frequently featured rapid-fire strings of words that leaned heavily on racism, dispossession and class separation. One of his poems was titled, “The Rich.”

“You haven’t lived until you’ve launched a car into space for no … reason,” he said. “Now that’s freedom.”

An educator who was formerly incarcerated, Wallin-Sato’s work often alluded to prison life and the oppressed community he was raised in. 

“All my childhood friends suffer from existence,” he read at one point, “… carrying the dead weight of ghosts.”   

One poem shared how poetry helped him through his incarceration. 

“I beat the entire seven-year stretch and I did it with the power of words,” he read.

Jones said she was pleased with how the evening played out.

“For students, I think events like this are inspiring,” she said. “Students said things like, ‘It was important for my soul.’ It kind of electrified them. After the event, they were just kind of buzzing.”