In honor of women: poetry and music of struggle and joy

Women around the world are honored on March 8, International Women’s Day. This year, the theme was “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow.” Today we combine that celebration with National Women's History Month (March) and National Poetry Month (April) to bring you a poignant, lyrical and musical celebration of women and words.

This episode of Speakers Forum, a virtual event hosted by the Elliott Bay Book Company, includes St'at'imc Bear Dancer Jackie Andrew, the poets Claudia Castro Luna, Lena Khalaf Tuffaha, Cindy Williams Gutiérrez, and Deema Shehabi, and the classical guitarist Hilary Field. The creators called the program, "The Water We Carry: Struggle, Daring, Dignity and Joy."

One of the after-effects of the Covid pandemic has been our sometimes awkward use of virtual spaces to stay connected. As much as we all might complain about this distanced necessity (Zoom fatigue rings many bells), there’s no denying that on some level it kept us together.

This gathering captures moments of grace, joy and disturbance. It serves as a poetic signifier of themes that touch on women’s past, present and hoped-for future. In a bittersweet turn, as host Claudia Castro Luna imagines the applause that certainly would have risen at the close, a sign of our togetherness and common feeling, even saying so, we can nearly hear it.

Claudia Castro Luna is a former Washington state Poet Laureate and Seattle’s first Civic Poet. Her works include the poetry collection, "Killing Marías," the anthology, "There’s a Revolution Outside, My Love: Letters from a Crisis," and her new collection, "Cipota Under the Moon."

Hilary Field is an internationally known classical guitarist. Her debut album, "Music of Spain and Latin America," won Classical Album of the Year from the National Association of Independent Record Distributors.

Lena Khalaf Tuffaha is a Seattle-area-based poet, essayist, and translator. Her first full collection of poems, "Water & Salt," won the 2018 Washington State Book Award.

Portland poet and playwright Cindy Williams Gutiérrez is the author of "Inlay with Nacre: The Names of Forgotten Women." Her newest stage work, "In the Name of Forgotten Women: A Play in Verse," a choreopoem that dramatizes poetry with movement and music, is in production at CoHo in Portland.

Kuwait-born poet, teacher, editor and activist Deema Shehabi is the author of "Thirteen Departures from the Moon."

St'at'imc Bear Dancer Jackie Andrew of the Lil'wat Nation in Canada opened the event.

The Elliott Bay Book Company presented this event on March 5, 2022.