On March 19, popular poet Taylor Mali will be performing and giving a workshop at Marywood University. Mali, who gave up teaching to pursue slam poetry, has two published books and several spoken word CDs. Many of his poems center around what he learned in his nine years of teaching.
According to Taylor Mali’s official website, www.taylormali.com, he is an “advocate for teachers and the nobility of teaching.” In addition to performing and writing, Mali has started the New Teacher Project. The goal of the project is to create 1,000 new teachers through “poetry, persuasion, perseverance, and passion.” He hopes that he can show people how important teachers are to our society and help inspire people enter the field.
In the frequently asked questions section of his website, Mali said that he loves slam poetry because “there should be a constant argument about the quality of poetry and the power of language and the responsibility of the artist in our society.”
Dr. Agnes Cardoni, assistant professor of English, invited Mali to campus. “I have been a fan of his for years,” she said. “I took the idea to (fellow professor) Dr. McMillan last year and we spent some time planning it. When we got back to school in August, we worked extra hard to get him here.”
The performance comes a week before the release of Mali’s new book “What Teachers Make,” which comes out March 29. If you want to get a taste of what Mali is about you can check out his previously published books “The Last Time as We Are” and “What Learning Leaves.”
His visit to campus is sponsored by the English Department and the English Club. “We are excited he is coming. It is a wonderful opportunity for the campus community,” said senior Kendra Rafferty, president of the club.
Mali will be having a workshop in the afternoon, then will dine with staff and any students who wish to join him in the main dining hall in the Nazareth Student Center. His performance will be March 19 at 7:00 p.m. in the Sette LaVerghetta Center.
Click the link below to see a video from a Taylor Mali performance.
