Acclaimed poet and novelist Morgan Parker hopped into a virtual book talk with Clark students May 12 at 4 p.m. to discuss her work, life and experience as a writer.
Parker’s talk caps off the year for the Columbia Writer’s Series: a collection of talks organized by Clark’s english department.
Part of their mission is to inspire students by bringing in writers who make a living through their art. Now, at the end of the series, students find themselves enthralled with Parker’s poetry, which utilizes vivid images and provocative prose.
“My job as a writer is to convey what it is to be in this body at this time,” Parker said, “It has a soundtrack, it has brand labels, and to me, that is poetry.”
Parker’s work covers a variety of topics. From her perspectives on racism and sexism to lyrics by Jay-Z and quips from reality television, she contributes a unique voice that students were ecstatic to hear.
“What I want to ask is,” Parker said, reading from her book “Other People’s Comfort Keeps Me Up At Night.” “What do you think of the idea of progress and is it an injury I can fix?”
