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Many scholars believe the art of poetry predates literacy, with poets functioning as storytellers and carriers of cultural history. Sarah Jane Mulvey, a native of New Bedford, currently serves as the city’s poet laureate, a role she enthusiastically embraces.
“I’m a representative of the art form within the community,” she said. “I’m basically an ambassador for the art and the appreciation of poetry and how it affects the community.”
Mulvey emphasizes the profound role poetry played in shaping the history of civilization.
“Poets were the historians and the culture keepers of a tribe or a nation’s identity for eons,” she said. “It’s a tried-and-true way of passing things down. So, a poet laureate is just a lofty title for someone who’s going to help you keep that kind of oral and artistic memory alive.”
After earning a degree in journalism and communication, Mulvey pursued poetry as a full-time endeavor, fueled by her lifelong passion for the art form. She discovered a rich tradition of poetry publishing locally and co-founded Anomaly Poetry, a poetry collective that also hosts open mics at Co-Creative Center in downtown New Bedford.
“I really jumped into it full force. That was when I met a few other writers and creatives here in the city,” she said. “We started collaborating together and that was the birth of Anomaly Poetry.”
Anomaly Poetry promotes writers from all over, publishing two anthologies annually.
“I’m an editor on those anthologies, so I get to not only … experience poetry from my friends, but also from outside influences. It then kind of influences my own art in a way,” she said.
Mulvey said she advocates for taking poetry beyond the confines of the classroom, where interpretation is often limited to academic study.
“It’s such a rich art form, and an important part of American art, like protest poetry, and preaching,” she said. “It has roots in so many different parts of our culture as Americans. It’s a language that spans generations and cultures and backgrounds. And I think an appreciation of poetry is an appreciation of history.”
As the poet laureate, Mulvey frequently recites her prose at events across the state, connecting with diverse audiences.
“That’s been one of the best parts of the poet laureate experience. I’m processing something happening through my personal emotions, but it’s also capturing a moment in time and in history,” she said. “I get to be a part of an event as a poet and connect on a human level with art. It marks a moment for me and hopefully for the people who heard it. I think that’s probably my favorite experience of the poetry I’m experiencing now as poet laureate.”
I loved this video with Mulvey talking so passionately about the impact of poetry. Please keep these unique and enriching arts/culture videos coming! Thank you Mr. Walega!