The final round of the 2004 Civil Rights, Social and Economic Justice Contest was held in Anchorage in late January as part of the "Speaking Truths Liberating Spirits" citywide celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday and Civil Rights Day. The contest was sponsored by the University of Alaska Anchorage Diversity Action Council and Office of Student Affairs.
Five judges, including visiting performance poet Ishle Yi Park, had to choose three prizewinners from among eight finalists. It couldn't have been an easy task since all of the poems were worthy efforts.
The winning poet, Avenue Marie Campala of Anchorage, is a nondegree student at UAA. She has a bachelor's in biology and is hoping to enter a master's program in rhetoric with a view toward becoming an editor. In her poem, she takes aim at the murder of Della Brown, a Native woman brutally slain four years ago in Anchorage.
Unfortunately, I have only enough space to quote the first and last sections of her work. I hope that's enough to let you appreciate her graphic insights into a tragedy rooted in prejudice.
Anne Hanley lives in Fairbanks and will serve as Alaska state writer laureate through June. Poem is used with author's permission.
This is a city were people talk
about the size of mosquitoes so carnivorous
if one nears your face that's where he hit her
a yelp leaps from your throat, you swat hit her with rock and shovel
swing your body away, seek safety. hit her face
over But we're proud to face this challenge
and over again, hit her with rock clenched
It is an extreme place for a city, the
papers bolster us with endless articles of how
we move deeper and deeper into
bear country and the conflict bears cause. ...
This is the face of a city encouraging
tourism and exploration
without turning to its self-created
conflicts.
he went back to Della Brown's body
24 hours later; hit again her twice killed body killing her a third time; wiped her dead blood on the front of his shirt like publicity
In this city, the freckled face of tourism turns
away from itself
brought another man from Anchorage
to view his self-hatred
denying the dilemma of modern city life
in the extreme wilderness
as if it was a conquest
as if it was a conquest.
