Katherine Moss
MA Creative Writing
The Library of Special (Re)Collections. (Realist Poetry and the Universal Human Experience).
The Library of Special (Re)collections' project is rooted in the timeless tradition of oral history expressed through the free verse poetic style of the great Chinese poet, Du Fu. My project seeks to discover hidden voices of British and Chinese descent to create a physical and online space to hear people's stories. Through their personal narratives I have created poetry that elevates private lives into a public consciousness. My hope is that individual truth becomes an acknowledgement of shared experience across a perceived cultural divide.
The core elements of my project proposal are to:
• Invite residents and students to share their life stories through spoken word.
• Explore common themes and preoccupations that transcend language and culture.
• Reimagine spoken word life stories as free verse poetry.
• Shape lived experience into a monument of poetry and storytelling.
As a poet and storyteller, I wish to give space to stories beyond my own experience. Du Fu's poetry bore witness to events in 8th Century China. My project seeks to reflect Du Fu's autobiographical works by listening to the stories of those who inhabit the 21st Century. I wish to communicate the experience of modern life by emulating the same Confucian virtues of humanity and humility that define Du Fu's great works.
To all the people we love who can no longer remember their stories.
