By COLLEEN DARLEY, Staff Writer
Native American poet Sly Alley read some of his award-winning poems in the Johnnie Wray Theater in Pratt Hall on Monday, Oct. 16. His poems ranged from humorous to political but also stayed true to his Native American roots. He is best known for Strong Medicine, which won the Oklahoma book award in 2017. More recently, he has become known for his work in the Creative Field Guide for Oklahoma.
“It pulled me out of my comfort zone,” Alley said of the Field Guide. “I was tasked with writing about fungus. It was like writing a research paper and turning it into a poem.”
Alley also candidly spoke about where his inspiration comes from for his own writing. “It’s around you. It’s whether it speaks to you enough to look at it and pay attention to it…if it affects you.”
While on campus, Alley also took time to speak with Ruth Brelsford’s Native American humanities class.
The reading was sponsored by the Latimer County Arts Council, and featured an open mic segment where Eastern’s own Cullen Whisenhunt, Ruth Brelsford , Laura Myers and Melissa Heath-Lee.
