Let the Poets Govern: A Declaration of Freedom

Poet and activist Felix (Dyscalculia) delivers an evocative mix of literary analysis and memoir exploring language’s role in oppression and how it can be repurposed as a tool of liberation. “We cannot revise history,” she argues, “but we can revise and redefine the language that governs history, the language that governs us.” Starting with the poetry of childhood, Felix examines the roots of ostensibly innocuous children’s rhymes, explaining that the American version of “Eenie Meenie Miney Mo” was once used to threaten enslaved people hoping to escape. She also takes issue with the Pledge of Allegiance, contending that it “obligates children into a performative demonstration of patriotism.” Elsewhere, she unpacks her personal political journey, describing how, while working as a speechwriter for Democratic politicians including Andrew Cuomo and Elizabeth Warren, she began to feel she was betraying herself, using her poetic skills to perpetuate an oppressive political system. Inspired by Audre Lorde’s essay “Poetry Is Not a Luxury,” she came to realize that poetry is “a verb that requires the writer and the reader to do something” and turned to movement organizing for Palestine. Though the central thesis gets a bit lost, Felix offers affecting insight into contemporary political disaffection. This is a moving testament to the power of words. (Mar.)