The Shapiro Writing Festival In Snapshots

An evening in the midst of some of the most fascinating people one could find within an academic setting, was more than I could ask for when I was selected for a workshop at the University Of Toledo's Shapiro Writing Festival. At Libby Hall, the stone building with its old world feel, a fire smoldered in the back of the room, as the literary and creative minds at the University started arriving.

On the very first day at dusk, we were treated to a poetry reading by Mr.Tyehimba Jess. He read with passion and fervor, some beautiful poetry from his National Poetry Series award winning collection titled, 'leadbelly'. His poems traced the history of blues legend, Huddie William Ledbetter (Leadbelly) and the music that tempered his violent life. This was my first experience with 'performance poetry' where biographical allusion brought out the truth in each monologue making them as real as words could ever be. In particular, I was in awe of the monologues where Mr.Jess's poetry employed a woman's voice to recount some of the poignant events in Leadbelly's life. His tone, the unfeigned articulation of the dialect, made the poetry sublime and palpable at the same time, evoking goosebumps throughout the reading. Each poem was followed by resounding applause.

The second day, was an inspiring talk by Ms.Lisa Lieberman Doctor whose career as a development and production executive in Los Angeles at Universal Pictures, Warner Brothers and Tristar Pictures, brought eager students, some much needed insight into professions in the television and film industry. She read out pointers and letters outlining the pathway to success for budding writers, from her associates, all of whom are established executives and producers in the industry. Her warmth, approchability and experience, made the talk and the Q&A session, especially engaging.

The talk by Ms.Lieberman Doctor, was followed by an open mic poetry reading where I had the opportunity to read three short poems from an unpublished collection, that I will be sending out for publication in June. The feedback I received at the end of my reading was heartening and this experience also familiarized me with the styles of some of the other poets who read their work that evening.

The gala event hosted on Saturday saw snowfall in April. In the cozy ambience of Libby Hall, participants of the 24-hour Shapiro play-writing workshop performed their play for an open audience. The acclaimed actress and Interim Dean of Arts and Sciences, Ms.Sue Ott Rowland, performed a dramatic monologue titled 'Nostalgia'. Dinner was accompanied by the soulful music played by guitarist Ed Levy, the coordinator of the guitar program and Lecturer at the University of Toledo.