Check out this video of my poem Digital Dunedin commissioned for National Poetry Day hosted at the Dunedin Public Library. When Wikipedian at Large Mike Dickison paid a visit to Dunedin, he mentioned how integrated Wikipedia is in our daily lives. I took that sentiment and ran with it, creating a text that looks at how I use digital spaces including Wikipedia, Twitter, Pokemon Go, and Google Maps to navigate my physical surroundings, and that adds a layer to my environment that is both collectively generated and individually consumed. Online spaces are ambiguous and can be fraught with tension as they demand our attention, but they can also be connective and empowering. I hope this piece expresses some of that sentiment.
I am so grateful to be in Dunedin studying at the University of Otago. The support of the Department of English and Linguistics, the UNESCO City of Literature Scholarship, and the mentorship of my supervisors Jacob Edmond, Ruth Napper, and Christine Jasoni mean so much to me, and I want to make sure that although this poem emphasizes one aspect of my Dunedin experience, there has also been much to celebrate.
Finally I would like to thank oets in Space organisers Robyn Maree Pickens and Emer Lyons, as well as Dunedin Public Library, the Otago-Southland NZ Society of Authors, Phantom Billstickers, Otago University Press, UNESCO City of Literature, and the Friends of the Library. Additional thanks to Wikipedean at Large Mike Dickison for sharing his time & expertise, and Jonas Goodwin who was kind enough to record and share this video.
It was a real honour to share the stage with the other featured poets: Lynley Edmeades, Sally McIntyre, Shereen Asha Murugayah, Adam Stewart, Susan Wardell, Jessica Thompson, and Molly Crighton.
Comments
Post a Comment