The Beauty of Life & the Pain of Loss: Poems and Essays

3:00 PM - 3:45 PM

Saturday, November 16

Leamos Tent

Lyrically moving between grief and survival, Sara Daniele Rivera's The Blue Mimes and Isabel Zapata's Empty Pool offer hope and joy in the face of physical, linguistic, and emotional disconnection. Grounding us in specificity and memory, Rivera travels through culture, landscape, and loss. Rhythmic, fragmented language reminds us of the beauty of connection amidst an uncertain, wearing time. Translated into English by Robin Meyers, Empty Pool is an eclectic collection full of preservation, remembrance, and playful energy. Essay poems on motherhood, extinction, and formation via absence are engaging and enveloping. Central to the two collections is a recognition of pain as well as an understanding of what is gained within it. Join these writers in conversation about where their experiences converge, and how we might shift our view on how we respond to loss.