An Evening with Rupi Kaur
Last week, my friend Fiona and I headed Downtown to the Orpheum
Theatre in Vancouver to watch Rupi Kaur perform. We were
blown away.
I first was introduced to Rupi Kaur’s writing through the medium
of Tumblr – that dangerous website where teenage girls go when they are full of
self-hate and find others that feel the same. It is somewhat unfortunate that
it was in this space that I first discovered Rupi’s work. Much of Rupi’s writing
in Milk and Honey deals with
triggering issues, such as domestic violence, abuse and self-hate, and this was
the form of her work I first came across. It is heart breaking and heart wrenching
and powerful. But not all of her work is painful. Rupi, in her beautiful and simplistic
style, addresses healing, new growth and self-love also. Thus, Milk and Honey simultaneously understands
your pain and torment, and shows you how to heal.
Rupi’s work is empoweringly feminist, inspiring young women
to love themselves and their bodies. Her writing is beautiful, with elegant
illustrations that compliment her poems. I was given Milk and Honey as a gift from one of my closest and dearest friends
when I was going through a very difficult period of my life. Thus, the book is important
to me, not just for its content, but in a sentimental way, as a gift from
someone I loved at a time when I needed it most.
When Fi mentioned that Rupi would be performing in Vancouver
in a couple of weeks, as she was touring with her new book, I was immediately
enticed. The Sun and Her Flowers was
released just last month in October 2017. It is rare to find yourself living in
North America at the same time that a renowned North American writer is
touring, so we had to make the most of the opportunity. The performance took place
at the Orpheum Theatre, an absolute stunning location and not the kind of
building that I, as a poor student, usually frequent. We sat awaiting Rupi’s
arrival amongst 2000 young and empowered women, and when she arrived, we were
not disappointed.
I don’t know what I was expecting from the poetry reading,
but it definitely was not the energy and enthusiasm that was physically and
audibly expressed by the crowd when Rupi came onto stage. I think the words “Poetry
Reading” often depict an image of a dull and un-enthused crowd of middle agers.
This was certainly not the case. Clapping and cheering from an empowered feminine
audience greeted Rupi as she arrived, and she responded to the crowd with the
same enthusiasm. Dressed exquisitely, and stood in the centre of a semi-circle
of petals, she was a symbol of beauty and power, which would inevitably resonate
with any woman. She was funny, and classy, and somehow managed to make it feel
as though she was having a private and personal conversation with each and
every person in the room, despite there being 2000 seated there.
Rupi read a number of poems from The Sun and Her Flowers, dealing with themes of sexuality, identity,
healing and growth. Particularly powerful to me was the chapter roots, addressing her own ancestry and
experiences of hybrid identity, something that is uniquely Canadian. I was touched
by the openness with which she discussed her relationship with her mother and
the difficulties her mother faced in the past - arriving in Canada with four
children and without the local language, her degree suddenly worthless. The
ability for someone to be so open with an audience of strangers is astounding.
Rupi read in a vibrant and engaging way. Every listener in the room hung on to her
last word, responding with the appropriate cheer and applaud when elements particularly
resonated with them. In between reciting her poems, she also performed slam
poetry – poems to music. For me personally, this was the
most beautiful part of the show. The skill with which she weaves her words is truly
beautiful.
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