From Rupi Kaur’s Milk and Honey

Poetry is quite ubiquitous, even if it is not actively sought out by most.

I was lucky enough to spend the past four days at the largest conference for women in technology in the world. The Grace Hopper Celebration is an acknowledgement of the incredible  work and research women in computing do all the time. It’s a networking event, a exhibition of talent and innovation, and most importantly a gathering of women in a field which repeatedly fails to include or promote women’s interests and which is lacking in women-led spaces. But what could a technical conference have to do with poetry? Among many incredible speakers and experiences at the 2018 Grace Hopper Celebration, was Amira Smith’s performance of “Solve for X”, a spoken word poem about her experience as a woman in technology, during the opening keynote of the conference. As part of the closing keynote, Heather Williams and Athena Rae performed “Advice to My Younger | Older Self”, a two-voice spoken word poem written by Micki LeSueur. I didn’t arrive at the event expecting to hear poetry, but it struck me more than ever as I watched these performances how powerful, communicative, and interdisciplinary poetry can be. I suspect that very few of the 18,000 attendees of this conference were poets, or possessed any academic inclination towards poetry, but I know that every one of us felt the message in these poems.

Poetry is often a medium for expressing passion. Reading, watching, or listening to poetry that resonates with your passion(s) is like being understood by another person on a very intimate level, which is why many people enjoy poetry that appeals to causes that they are affected by. Rupi Kaur, author of Milk and Honey, is an activist and feminist whose book has grown wildly popular because her audience relates to and believes in the things she writes. Poetry can be short and digestible, without losing the hard-hitting and genuine quality that comes with writing honestly and earnestly about real world problems. It is not a substitute for concrete information or education, it is an outlet to bring people with like experiences together.

The 2018 Grace Hopper Celebration was an incredible experience for me and I invite you to enjoy the poems I mentioned above as well as the rest of the long but inspiring keynotes if you so desire:

Solve for X by Amira Smith (starts at 1:27:05)

“Advice to My Younger | Older Self” by Micki LeSueur, performed by Heather Williams and Athena Rae (starts at 49:35)