I first met Eli Clare in March 2008. He was in town for a talk at the Ontario Institute for Secondary Education and agreed to be interviewed.September 24, 2010 4:26 pm
I first met Eli Clare in March 2008. He was in town for a talk at the Ontario Institute for Secondary Education and agreed to be interviewed.
I heard Eli’s footsteps before seeing his smile. Once in front of each other, we said each others names simultaneously and then shook hands.
Before I could sit down and press record, Eli was already spewing off knowledge: the intersection of ableism with racism, how not all disabilities are visible and therefore ableism is experienced in different ways…
I was wowed.
It was Eli’s poetry that got my notice first. I have heard his essays are amazing. I know his talks are unbelievable. But it’s Eli’s poetry that speaks to me, holds my attention, and teaches me something new every time I re-read his book.
Eli is a kind soul whose words feel like a punch to those he is challenging: ableists, racists, homophobes, and all those who keep their company.
This past August (2010) I was given the pleasure to hang with Eli again. I interviewed him for XTRA! and asked if he’d read some of his poetry for the magazine. Please enjoy Eli’s inspiring words.
Tune in to Black Coffee Poet next week for a review of Maya Angelou’s poetry collection, and an interview and reading with local artist Zainab Amadahy.
Posted by Black Coffee Poet
Categories: Poetry
Tags: "The Marrow's Telling: Words in Motion", Black Coffee Poet, eli clare, Eli Clare reads poetry, https://blackcoffeepoet.com/, intersection of ableism, Jorge Antonio Vallejos, OISE, Ontario Institute for Secondary Education, racism and disability, XTRA!
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[…] great poetry by Trans poet Eli Clare in a previous posting by Black Coffee […]
By BCP HONOURS TRANS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE WITH TRANS POETS S. MCDONALD AND REVEREND CINDY BOURGEOIS READING THEIR POETRY | Black Coffee Poet on November 19, 2010 at 5:46 pm