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Make Art, Not War

Monday, April 1, 2013

An amazing out of nowhere opportunity!



I have the most exciting news! I received a phone call last week from a woman named Mary, who said she was at the WAMM annual meeting on the 23rd, and that she loved my poetry, and she wanted to offer me a “gig”. I said okay, and she explained that they were having an event at Augsburg College on April 4th with featured speaker Gloria Steinem!!! 

They want me to do my poem “I’m having Issues” at it as an opener right before Mrs. Steinem speaks! I don’t even know how to say how thrilled, how honored, how excited I am to be performing at this event! Gloria Steinem is a living legend, not to mention my own personal idol (if you have somehow never heard of the feminist movement of the 1970s- now is a good time to start www.gloriasteinem.com). The idea of meeting her, much less getting to perform my poetry at something like this, I just… the whole thing makes me light headed!

The woman on the phone went on to say that they were expecting 400 to 500 people to attend the event, and that they want to pay me $50 to perform at it. I wanted to tell her to just stop right there, or else I was going to realize I was dreaming and I might wake up, and I didn’t want that to happen.

I am, of course, freaking out. I mean, she’s Gloria Steinem! What if she likes my poem? (It’s a good thing I have it memorized) I think it’s a really good thing that the event is imminent
because I wouldn’t want to have too much time to think about it. Instead it’s like- Surprise! Activist Christmas! The universe just opened up and offered me this, and suddenly it is the most important performance of my life (so far). I mean think about it- it sets the bar. Because besides the featured guest, an auditorium full of college educated women and men who came to hear her speak will also be there (which is pretty much the target audience for this piece, and this project). Who could ask for more? I’m not asking for anything. I just can’t wait until Thursday.

So, yeah. It’s ganna be awesome. I should mention that the event is free and open to the public (and did I mention that Gloria Steinem will be speaking at it?) You should try to make it. It’s ganna be Thursday April 4th at 11am, at the Foss center on the corner of 22nd and Riverside (in the chapel) at Augsburg College, Mpls.


I will be there with bells on.

2 comments:

andiepants said...

Misty this is so awesome! I had a feeling that things like this were headed your way...it was only a matter of time. :-)

Congratulations! I know you'll do fantastically. I hope you get to meet Ms. Steinem too!

Pepperwolf said...

You were fabulous at our WAMM Annual Meeting. The three poems you did were amazing. You are one very talented woman! Thank you so much.