Sacramento Poetry Day, proclaimed on October 26, marks its 40th anniversary this year. In 2024, poet laureate Andru Defeye transformed this day into a week-long event now known as Sac Poetry Week, providing a platform for workshops, open mic nights, contests, and a K-12 poetry curriculum celebrating local poets.
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Sac Poetry Week runs from October 19 to 26. Award-winning poet J. Rowe shared insights about her experiences with spoken word poetry during an interview with Vicki Gonzalez, the host of Insight. Rowe emphasized how poetry has empowered her to express her emotions and connect with others through performance.
She reflected on her journey to spoken word, stating that it represented her self-actualization and her desire to express big feelings creatively. Rowe noted that even if she does not understand every word spoken by others, she can deeply feel their emotions, which cultivates a powerful connection in performance.
Rowe shared an excerpt from her poem, "Joy," from her debut collection, "Bloom." This piece speaks about personal empowerment and the significance of joy, urging listeners to embrace their worth and potential.
"If joy could talk, it would say: you deserve me," she concluded, highlighting the poem's message of self-worth and resilience.
Sac Poetry Week is set to feature various poetry performances that aim to make poetry accessible, particularly for youth. More details about the events can be found on Instagram at @sacpoetryweek. J. Rowe’s full interview and readings will also be available for listeners.