The Poet
Andrea Pelose
Issue date: 12/1/08 Section: Bold Miami
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You are watching from outside your body.
These are lines you expect and refer to metronomes on a high shelf. Once you start the blinking taps it all falls into place.
These words are both written and performed by Senior Ashley Colley, a 21-year-old English education and creative writing double major from Aurora, Ohio. The lines are a section of her thirteen-part poem she read for the English Department's Cercopia series this fall. Colley describes the thrill of performing to be unlike any other.
"When I read for the Cecropia series I remembered everything before and everything after, but nothing during. The adrenaline took over," says Colley."The best part is being able to perform poetry different than what the poem performs on the page. It's the excitement of sharing things you make with other people."
Colley's tenderness toward language is apparent in her speech. She pauses pensively between each answer to be sure to convey it justice. Her creative excitement flares when she does answer, speaking continuously with her hands moving rapidly in eagerness.
Colley has done two formal poetry readings so far and plans to do more. Her first reading was MAYDAY of last year, in the back of President Hodge's house. She volunteered and read one of her imitation pieces as well as a multi-voice, collaborative piece with Jessi Lydon and Shannon Akers. The piece combined the voices of George Bush, Britney Spears, serial killers, and suicide bombers, to name a few.
"If I want to make poetry a profession I knew I have to start doing readings," says Colley of her initial urge to perform.
 Ashley Colley recites her poems |
Students are welcome to act their poetry any way they see fit.
"I haven't done anything crazy, yet," says Colley, with a telling smile that shows she plans to.
The Poetry readings themselves usually feature a stage or platform. The audience is infused with friends supporting the poets as well as professors and graduate students from the English department.
"Everyone is really supportive. I was especially surprised at the graduate students, for their recognition of my work," Colley says of her post-performance reception. While she exudes appreciation for such compliments, it is not the acceptance of strangers that Colley seeks. In fact, she feels pretty comfortable in front of a crowd.
"What usually surprises people is I'm not as scared of sharing my poetry with strangers as I am with people who matter most to me like my friends and family," says Colley. "It really matters to me what they think." Yet, when it comes down to it, Colley is a poet for herself.
"I am concerned with writing for me, not being a poet because people think it's cool," Colley asserts. "The scariest part is writing it, knowing that you plan to perform it. You can't let it effect or inhibit your writing."
Colley says she got her roots for poetry through imitations, especially the work of the renowned poet, Alice Notley.
"It's important to read other people's poetry and respond to it. It teaches and inspires. I want to challenge the tradition of poetry," says Colley adamantly.
"People should make and perform art. If it's something you want to do, you have to do it-- you can't just think about it. I interviewed the poet, Kristen Kreider, when I was in London and she said that if you don't make art then you're just a philosopher," says Colley. After a moment's consideration, she is sure to add, "Not that I have anything against philosophers."
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