A Poet That Might Know It

Kaedance Eaton is a hell of a lot stronger than she looks. I was first struck by her impressive capacity for carrying things when she arrived outside for our interview toting what looked to be roughly 10 lbs of loosely assembled papers. She dismissed her feat of fortitude with a quick grin and a wave of her hand, proudly displaying her 3 planners and notebook of lists.

Why trouble yourself with carrying half a tree around campus? Well, she writes a lot, so much and so well in fact that LBCC has seen fit to deem her our poet laureate, a vaguely auspicious title that demands such uncommon strength and a boatload of paper to fill the musings of commissioned creativity.

Other notable names like Robert Frost, Allen Tate, and William Carlos William have faced such physical hardships in the past on a national level, working as poet laureate for the library of congress since 1937. But what are the duties of a poet laureate? Of the handful of students around campus who I posed the question to, only one had any concept of the position. Dan Lais, a computer savvy gentleman who sports a fantastic beard, surmises: "I always thought it was a commissioned position for poets who served at functions and events." You're damn close, Dan! Poet laureates have a long, illustrious history across the globe, often serving as creative writers for government patrons, lending their minds and pens to commemorate state occasions and other memorable events. The United States has retained one for years as aforementioned, laying upon them the mantle of seeking to "Raise the national consciousness to a greater appreciation of the reading and writing of poetry," according to the Library of Congress website.

But how does our own Laureate seek to raise our consciousness or appreciation? If you guessed guerrilla classroom takeovers, you're right! Eaton thinks that the best way of breaching the doldrums of non-poetic life and thrusting wordsmithing into the minds of students is to lock down your classrooms with literary terrorism. Envisioning a world of costumed poetry crusaders who storm classes in a manner akin to impromptu theatre, Eaton hopes to spark the interest of students by surprising them with poetry slams.

Although many I talked to thought the practice might prove invasive as an obstruction to learning in the wrong environment, they were quick to add that if relevant to subject matter being learned they would find such an event a pleasant surprise. "I would find it disruptive since I'm in a nursing program, but it would depend on my course of study," Says Chelsea Fierro. "If they show up in art history that would be great," says hopeful student Russel Saint-John.

Eaton's primary goal remains to instill in students the same passion for writing that has guided her through life. "What I would love to do with the position is make people realize how accessible poetry is; its power and what a catalyst it can be in their lives."

Eaton's own relationship with poetry started with an attentive eye early on for cats in hats and giving trees. "Growing up, I really liked [Shel] Silverstein and Dr. Suess. I didn't know it was supposed to be poetry at the time." She continued on her course of accidental encounters when she first saw the movie "Slam" at age 14, a film that tells the story of a young street poet using his talents to survive in prison. The movie revolutionized her understanding of the multi-faceted utilities of poetry, how to one it might be a source of comfort and strength, while others might use it to survive and tell a story.

"If I'm stressed out about something and feel tumultuous, if I put it into words, or read what someone else has written, once it's articulated things never seem as bad." This remedy, as simple as it may sound, is an all too often excluded exercise for students in dire need of ventilation, whose common troubles, no matter their degree of affliction, could be relieved on some level through a better understanding of the written word and its application to their lives. "The spoken word has power," says Eaton, and that very power could be the thing that effuses them with the ability to find peace in whatever storm they're braving.

So if a couple of insane looking people with buckets on their heads and broomsticks in hand burst into your classroom in the near future and start spouting poetry, listen, really listen, because they just might be saying what you need to hear.