Stories About Home. Listening to Palestinian Poetry
Author: Elena Rieger, Damla Göre and Elettra Carnelli
Tags: #Parity Talks IX #Workshop
During times of war, architecture falls short of encompassing instability. Places might get detached from the feelings of safety, arrival, and homecoming, but a single object might continue to carry these senses. Then we have to question, what truly builds a home–is it the four walls or the feelings associated with it?
Listening to poetry, this workshop centers daily objects and practices that evoke a sense of home, despite the fact that their personal histories are entrenched in the histories of diaspora, exile, and homelessness. As Audre Lorde pointedly characterized it: ‘Poetry is the way we help give name to the nameless so it can be thought.’ (1985) Thus, we believe that poetry, in addition to serving as a site of resistance, may break distances by amplifying the senses and providing an alternative ground for participation, empathy, and understanding through our bodies. We will read, listen, and visualize poetry with images and drawings collectively in order to bridge our voices with the voices of Palestinian poets, writers, and artists. Inspired by a WoWA reading group session, this workshop focuses on muscular tensions and haptic vibrations as a method of listening.