Shakespeare mastered the use of witty double entendres to imply sexual actions.
This week, UT poets will bypass his approach of “beating around the bush” in favor of a more direct discussion.
When students approached the UT faculty asking for input and support for Sex Week, Marilyn Kallet, director of creative writing, responded by organizing “Singing the Body Poetic,”a performance of songs and poems centered around the human body.
For Kallet, Sex Week is necessary for two important reasons: mental and physical health and joy in the human body.
“We need information in order to be healthy,” Kallet said. “We need information in order to be happy. We need to be not ashamed of ourselves and our bodies and our physical beings.”
Kallet found poetry presented the ideal medium for communicating this message to others.
“Lyrical poetry has always been integrative,” Kallet explained. “It brings together feelings, thoughts and sensations. It’s a place where all of that can come together.”
Kallet invited performers that each possess a signature style of expressing poetry. Two singer-songwriters, one actress and three alumni fill the set list.
“The first thing to say is that all of these people are brilliant poets,” Kallet said before describing Darius Antwan Stewart. “This brilliant poet happens to be black and gay.”
Stewart grew up in Knoxville and is one of the UT alumni who will perform.
Kali Meister, a second UT alum who Kallet described as “bold and sassy,” translates her poetry into performance through acting.
“She’s so good that many years ago when she was a student of mine, after she was all done, I said ‘Would you tutor me in performance?'”Kallet shared. “We met once a week, and she changed my life.”
Andrew P. Dillon, an alumni with an MFA in creative writing, said he is grateful to be a part of Sex Seek since he never got a chance to participate as a student.
“Sex Week is a great way to talk about just being honest about being a sexual being and how that’s just a natural and healthy part of your life,” Dillon said.
Despite agreeing that sexuality should be an open and comfortable topic, Kallet admitted, “We’re going to be performing poems that we wouldn’t perhaps ordinarily have the nerve to do.”
The hour long performance will raise multiple topics of discussion and evoke a myriad of emotions.
“It’s not a Hallmark greeting card sort of thing,” Kallet said. “It’s gonna have some blues in there. It’s gonna have some anger. It’s complexity.”
This diversity in material parallels the diverse audience the performers hope to draw.
“I’m hoping that people will be there and be involved in Sex Week who wouldn’t normally be open to talking about their sexuality and their bodies,” Dillon said. “I’m hoping people will come and just listen and be part of that discussion.”
“Singing the Body Poetic” is Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in Hodges Library Auditorium and is for ages 18 and up.
