Submissions of poetry and visual works welcomed for F-Word Live poetry slam
The University of Idaho’s Women’s Center is promoting the F-word, but not the same four-letter word that typically comes to mind.
The F-Word Live poetry slam is centered on a different kind of F-word, feminism.
“We often joke about feminism being the F-word,” said Lysa Salsbury, director of the Women’s Center. “It’s meant to make people laugh and say ‘Oh, what’s that?'”
F-Word Live will be at 7 p.m. Nov. 6, in the Borah Theater in the Student Union Building. Admission is free to students, including non-UI students, and general admission is $5.
The center is accepting submissions of spoken word and slam poetry, as well as visual art that depict the idea of feminism and related topics.The deadline for submissions is Oct. 17.
The works are to be evaluated by a review board and participants will be notified by Oct. 27, of their expected participation.
The center is accepting submissions from any skill level and age, and UI affiliation is not a requirement.
Salsbury said the purpose of the event is to have feminism become less taboo, misunderstood and reviled. She said there are negative connotations and associations attached to the word.
“Sometimes things that people think we shouldn’t talk about are the very things we need to talk about,” Salsbury said.
Jessy Forsmo-Shadid, a UI sophomore involved with the event and the Women’s Center, plans to submit a spoken word piece focused on the word “bitch.”
“I’m looking to educate people on the word, but also entertain them at the same time,” she said.
Although she has performed her work in front of audiences before, she said it’s still nerve-racking.
“(F-word Live) challenges you to perform, to show off your work, to speak your mind,” she said. “It also gives other people a chance to know what’s on your mind. I think it’s very important to share those things.”
The Feminist Led Activist Movement to Empower, or FLAME, debuted the event in 2006. But the club was inactive for a few years and F-word Live did not occur again until 2012 when the Women’s Center revived it.
“We had a lot of students who were really interested in being involved and creating an event to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Women’s Center,” Salsbury said.
For the last two years the events have not showcased visual work, as it did in 2006. The visual component of the event was reincorporated this year to allow students who are not interested in poetry to showcase as well, said Bekah MillerMacPhee, the Women’s Center assistant director for programs.
Salsbury said the event and its performances is a powerful experience.
“The theme and the content of the poems being read are usually deeply personal,” Salsbury said. “I think bearing witness to someone putting their heart and soul out on the stage is a very unique and moving experience.”
Katelyn Hilsenbeck can be reached at [email protected]