rupi kaur, a poet and more
by grace carballo ‘17
rupi kaur is a writer and artist, now based in toronto, who graced usc with her presence last thursday to kick off mental health awareness month 2016.
it is one thing to read rupi’s poems online or from her nyt self-published best-seller, milk and honey, but is another experience entirely to hear her read them herself. her inflection, the smooth tone of her voice, her hand movements- it brought her work to life.
it was one of my favorite audiences to be a part of in my 22 years of life-living. we laughed, snapped, cringed, thought, cried, nodded, and felt together as rupi maneuvered through favorite pieces she had selected from her book. though bovard was unbelievably full (to paint you a clearer picture, my friends and i got in line an hour before the auditorium doors even opened and we still could only get balcony seats), her delivery made it feel personal and intimate. her anecdotes about her friends between readings, her bits of self-deprecating humor reflecting on who she was at the time of writing and the relatable moment when she took off her heels before continuing- all of these glimpses of who she is- made her poems so much more meaningful.
though rupi writes about a lot of heavy topics- self-worth, loss, and sexual assault to name a few- she also is approachable, real, and funny. she expresses, purely and concisely, what so many of us cannot find the right words to portray. i would love to have her on my side in an argument because i feel like she could think of a comeback in the moment, whereas in my experience, they come to me hours later when the moment has passed.
she joked with the audience that she felt like beyonce when she was rehearsing before the event and honestly she had beyonce-level rapport with, and admiration from, those in attendance. rupi skillfully maneuvered between being deep and being relatable and the audience really responded to that.
in addition to the poems from milk and honey, rupi performed several powerful spoken word pieces. the first, preceded by a rape trigger warning, exemplifies the sentiment behind “making the personal political”. (See Rupi’s Ted Talk called “I’m Taking My Body Back” here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlToQQfSlLA )
i started following rupi on instagram a while back after a friend (who i sat next to during rupi’s evening at usc) tagged me in a poem she thought i would relate to. i absolutely loved how she blended drawings with her poems and found her work to be inspiring and powerful. so when i saw instagram took down the picture above for “violating community guidelines,” i was as shocked and offended as she was.
in her caption on the reposted photo, as well as the description on her website of the entire series, rupi explains the hypocrisy of societal expectations regarding women’s bodies. this photo shows a natural process, a woman menstruating and getting the blood on her pants and sheets. we’ve all been there. but instagram censored it like it was something dirty. and many people respond this way to menstruation - it’s gross, it’s taboo- don’t talk about it.
yet the same society that condemns periods as gross functions of women’s bodies condones and even perpetuates the sexualization and degradation of these same bodies.
though rupi did not talk about this particular incident in her evening with us, she did read several empowering poems celebrating women’s bodies as they naturally are and as each woman wants hers to be.
i’ve elected to write my reflection on rupi’s performance in all lowercase letters because that is a notable characteristic of her poetry (and imitation is the sincerest form of flattery). rupi explains on her website (linked at the bottom of this post) that this stylistic choice is inspired by her mother tongue (punjabi). in the gurmukhi script, all letters are treated the same; there are no uppercase or lowercase letters like we are accustomed to.
rupi explained, “i enjoy how simple that is. how symmetrical and how absolutely straightforward. i also feel there is a level of equality this visuality brings to the work. a visual representation of what i want to see more of within the world: equalness.”
she continues, “as a diasporic punjabi sikh woman, it is less about breaking the rules of english (although that’s pretty fun) but more about tying in my own history and heritage within my work.”
after rupi’s performance, bovard attendees had the opportunity to get their copies of milk & honey signed. the line, which extended from the 2nd floor of tcc, down the steps, through the campus center, and all the way past the bookstore (where I was), is a perfect example of how impactful and far-reaching rupi’s poetry has become.
though i never made it to the front of the line to get my book signed, i had a beautiful evening listening to rupi read her poetry and perform her spoken word and sharing that experience with friends and strangers in the audience.
to follow rupi’s future speaking engagements and work, below are some links to her social media platforms:
http://www.facebook.com/rupikaurpoetry
https://www.instagram.com/rupikaur_/
additionally, i’d like to give credit where credit is due- to the organizations that played a role in bringing rupi to usc. namely, usc mental health awareness month, which is a student-led campaign and series of events challenging the stigma attached to mental health issues. (there will be lots of events throughout october worth attending).
also, thanks so much to the usc academic culture assembly and all their member organizations for putting this amazing event together!
and of course, thanks to rupi for sharing your words and helping us all grow, heal, and love.
stay strong,
grace carballo ‘17
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