On Thursday, September 15th, 2016, at 8 p.m in the University Center, I heard Aimee Nezhukumatathil speak for the first time. She has three books of poetry, and both a book of essays and a book of poetry coming out in future years. She was lovely.
She read:
"Swear Words"
"The Mascot of Beavercreek High Breaks Her Silence"
"Fugu Soup Blues"
"On Listening To Your Teacher-" this one I couldn't catch the entire poem name or find it online but she did read it I promise
"What I Learned From the Incredible Hulk"
"Mosquitos"
"Baked Goods"
"1 Star Reviews of the Taj Mahal"
and
"Why I Crave Ribs Tonight"
And here are some thoughts:
1. She's so cute, for one.
2. I'm already likely to buy her book. They have nice fonts and she seems so pleasant!
3. All I know is what I just read on Tumblr, I feel guilty.
4. She's very funny and smiley, I like it.
5. I love the way she talks about her origins. Her mom is Filipino, her father Indian.
6. She even talks in spoken word, beautiful.
7. I'm crying about her parents being supportive (actual tears, I mean)
8. Oh come on, even I know Ferrigno and I'm only 18
9. When she reads, it never sounds finished
10. "Mosquitos" is so relatable
11. She hads me crying again over parents
12. Some comments in the found poem are really horrifying
13. Axolotls are very cute
14. Not narwhals, nooo
15. I love that she says she's "on fire" for poetry
16. Tomethtos, ha. (This was because she said she had neighbors that would always give her tomatoes, that ended up being meth dealers)
17. I love a good transformation story
18. $18 for like $40 poems? That's actually almost tragically cheap when you do the math.
19. She's so sweet and inquisitive
20. The inscription that she wrote to me makes me really excited to write again
This is why I love going to concerts and readings even if I'm not familiar with the material, every artist has their own story that is beautiful and inspiring. I am really glad I decided to go, and even more glad that I stayed to talk to her and get a picture with her. Her poetry, what I've read through Lucky Fish so far, is beautiful and really rich in her own personal history. It's refreshing, and there are times where it's surprisingly biting and always powerful. She seems to relish in the natural world around her, and I think that's admirable.
I know there is never a time where you become too famous for humility (after all, she still teaches) but it's always amazing for me, a student with no publication history, to meet someone who has made writing their entire life. I hope one day I can talk to her again.
