Thank you to the Wexner Center, Dionne, and William, for the unique, impactful experience on Tuesday. The film Louder than a BombТ can easily stand alone as an inspirational experience, but having the stars of the documentary appear on stage after the showing changed the way my students viewed Nova and Lamar. They went from abstract characters to real, influential people.

I asked for feedback from my students. Here is what they had to say.

• The film and stars made them look at poetry differently. They recognized it comes in different forms and no longer see poetry as an art of “old stuffy people” or words that “have to rhyme.”
• They appreciated that the poems came from where the people were in their lives. They understood more about the writing process after seeing the background of the artists and how it affected their work. Poetry seems more of a form of self-expression to them now.
• The film and the experience made them more enthused about writing. They feel “inspired” to write poetry specifically. One girl tallied her “chills” and said she counted 17.
• Lastly, and to me most importantly, many of them said the film broke stereotypes for them. A couple of students brought up Lamar’s comment about how people might move to the other side of the street if they saw him coming, but because of his art, they see him differently on stage. They agreed that they would not have thought of him as a poet, but this experience changed their minds about what a poet is, and I believe, made them rethink the way they view others a little.

Like my students, I felt the poets were inspirational. When Nova admitted she was “not done” writing about her father, I was reminded of my own itch and found myself jotting personal notes next to the ones I was taking for my students. I know there were other teachers who felt the same.

Lamar quoted, “We write because we feel.” Т This is true, and feeling, therefore writing, is part of what makes us human. My students and I felt a little closer to what is important about humanity after Tuesday.