September Symposiums: Upon Learning That
Upon Learning That - Alex Dawson (2025)
Excellent and strongly curated! The premise of the collection is very clever and each piece interpreted the idea in unique and captivating ways. I learned a lot, which is one of my goals when reading anything. There is so much beauty, pain, and cleverness to explore in this curation. I strongly recommend a read of this anthology for any poet, scientist, or philosopher. It’s a good one to own because these are the types of poems you want to return to with themes that come up in daily life.
The piece that haunts…
Jessica Aure Pratt’s poem about religious trauma and the cruel truths of being a woman as compared to the fates of other female creatures. That’s something I think about and recognize in nature too. “Upon Learning That Luna Moths Do Not Have Mouths” was probably my favorite piece and I had horrible dreams about it. That’s a f*cking good poem - one that gives you nightmares.
Other things I loved (not a complete list as each piece was amazing!):
It’s rare that I enjoy a poem with rhyme, but Adam Tyson’s piece provided that delightful surprise.
The hornet imagery by Kayla Porth.
Sukriti Patny’s piece, which I decided is a call to action in the fight for women’s equity - but I might be overthinking it…
Aaron Lelito’s new take on a recipe-twist poem.
A love piece by Nick Olah that speaks of time.
Allison Mei-Li’s piece on grief.
Jillian Stacia’s piece about being one with an animal - and the last line!
Alex Dawson’s piece that examines beauty, being a writer, and the passage of time all hiding in the patterns of delicate butterfly wings.
