In a free Oct. 24 poetry workshop and exploration, ARTSwego Artist-in-Residence Albert Abonado will partner with the university's Triandiflou Institute for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Transformative Practice to discuss the profound histories of names and how they can define experiences.
The event, which begins at 4 p.m. in 114 Marano Campus Center will ask "What is in a name?" -- noting a name can be a link to a cultural history or a burden that must be shouldered. It can signal joy and strength or act as a symbol of grief. The workshop will cultivate exploring the story behind the names people are given. Other questions will include: What do we do with the names we are given? How do we choose to carry those names?
Following the conversation, Abonado will lead a generative poetry workshop where participants will have an opportunity to write poems that explore the rich meanings behind their names.
Abonado is a poet and essayist. He is the author of the poetry collection "JAW" (Sundress Publications 2020) and the forthcoming "Field Guide for Accidents" (Beacon Press 2024), selected by Mahogany Browne for the National Poetry Series.
He has received fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. His writing has appeared in the Bennington Review, Colorado Review, Poetry Northwest, Zone 3, and others. Living in Rochester and teaching in addition to being Oswego's Fall 2024 Artist-in-Residence, Abonado is the editor-in-chief of the Bare Hill Review.
For more information or accommodations to attend this event, email artswego@oswego.edu.