Lady Brion, a spoken word artist, recently visited Elizabethtown College to present a selection of slam poetry to students.

The event was held in the Jay Lounge, and nearly a dozen audience members watched as the lights went down and Lady Brion stepped up to the microphone. 

“This was my first time going to any slam poetry event, so I sort of went in with no expectation of how the night was going to go,” third-year Ryan Goodnowsaid. “I cried and laughed in that entire hour bit. It was incredible and a fun experience overall and I hope we have more events like it on campus.” 

Lady Brion was brought to Etown by the Office of Student Affairs (OSA), which is unique because many readings are done through the Bowers Writers House. The Jay Lounge brought a different atmosphere, with only a podium and a microphone in the space with Lady Brion. The poet also encouraged audience participation, as opposed to silent readings typically done by long-form authors. 

During her show, Lady Brion encouraged the crowd to participate in the poetry by snapping, clapping or making other noises to emphasize things they liked and disliked. 

The first poem Lady Brion presented was “Sugar Cane Smile”, a tribute to her mother. The poet gestured and emphasized each line of the poetry with her facial expressions. The poem was the first in a series of three about Lady Brion’s family. The poet presented groups of three poems, then provided time for discussion about craft and life in general. 

“I not only loved the poetry and listening to the performance aspect, but I also liked when Lady Brion described her writing process,” fourth-year Mylea Neidig said. “I’d love to see Etown host more events like this one with different writers in different areas of craft.” 

Other sections of poetry included a group about injustice, which included a piece on gentrification in Lady Brion’s home city, and a group of poems about relationships. In between performances, she told students about her performances at poetry slams and her work as an activist. 

Lady Brion was the 2016 National Poetry Slam Champion and has represented Baltimore, her home city, in other international competitions. She published a book in 2018 with an accompanying album titled With My Head Unbowed. The album is on Spotify and Apple Music. 

For more information about Lady Brion, visit her website, ladybrion.com.