Also available as audio-only on iTunes, Spotify & wherever else you get podcasts.
Isabella Eisenpresser unravels new femme struggles in the age of social media during ‘Threads and Lines’. The Clique gets spanked by their kinkiest poem to date before before bumping heads over the #poetry poem and it’s multiple interpretations during the ‘2 Piece Combo’ poetry review. Isabella ends the show with empowering bars during the ‘5 For Ya Eye’ prompted poem.
[EPISODE INDEX (VIDEO)]
- 00:32 – “Jezabell’s Lament” – Isabella Eisenpresser
- 3:46 – “Threads and Lines”
- 13:19 – 2 Piece Combo | “Ode to the Belt” -Sam Sax
- 24:34 – 2 Piece Combo | @rp.poet
- 29:43- 5 For Your Eye
We have this well of inspiration and empowerment to tap from in the LA poetry scene and showcasing that was my goal with the Pen Clique. I wanted to show the world the dope people I know, and potentially bond and link up with the dope people I want to know more. Isabella was a new friend when she arrived to the Pen Clique shoot. Having met briefly but never really getting a chance to chop it up, this was my chance to dive into what she was doing with poetry and to pry into her personal experience a little bit. I was blown away as she offered us examples of both in her work, by not only spitting bars, but using poetry as a means to educate and inform the world about the struggles femmes experience more and more in the age of social media.
We are all checking our social media constantly, posting (or thinking about posting) or wondering who liked our post, which leaves us increasingly affected by the world we have built inside the internet. To have the opportunity to dive into that subject on Pen Clique was a necessary blessing and revealed parts of that struggle I, as a cis male, would never have thought of otherwise. Isabella gave us an honest look into the insecurities and frustrations she has been left with in the age of a digitally social world — a world almost entirely different for men and women. We discussed how the standards of social media are affecting kids, especially young women and how their self-worth is stifled by what is happening on their IG page. It’s become a world full of kids comparing others’ “highlight reels” to their own personal “behind the scenes” struggles, which have left women feeling like being sexy or body-focused is their only road to success while there is a strikingly contrasting world for men who aren’t aware of how their activity on socials is shaping young people and their mental health. I don’t think we are always aware of how social media is molding our thought process, however, I do think it’s deeper than we realize. Having a talented young womyn use our platforms as a means to educate and express her struggles was one of the points of doing this show also brought us an unexpected moment of clarity for us at Pen Clique as men, and hopefully to our audience at home.
One of my favorite things about poets is that as focused as we may be on the work and activism, we all can have fun. Left with this new insight into women and their struggles we moved on to laugh, and ooh and ahh at poetry — not forgetting the work that needs to be done — and celebrating the art around us. We reviewed one of the sexiest poems to date during the “2 Piece Combo,” and in the midst of the shock from hearing someone’s sexual expression, found their personal struggles and humanity. Impressed, we would go on to #poetry and would reach into the comedy bag to hit the #poetry review with fun takes and looks into yet another randomly farmed-poem from Instagram. We are trying to create a platform for poets to speak in their unique voices, so watching Isabella flawlessly express herself was a reminder that we can say something real to help people with poetry as well as cut up and laugh with the homies.
I started the day with Isabella as acquaintances, but by the end of the day I hoped we would go one to live as friends and family in the fight to empower ourselves and others. I cannot express how important I think it is for all genders to be actively listening and engaged with each other and revealing hard but honest parts of our lives without solely hiding behind pictures of dope food and good hair days on Instagram. To be able to offer that platform to powerful young people while having fun is a dream come true for me, and I will always be grateful to Isabella and all the dope women out there taking the time and effort to try and move progress along, lovingly educating a generation of men left with the problematic trappings of the past, and maintaining a desire to be better for each other.
Write-up & Audio Podcast by Daniel Hees
Video Podcast & Social by Kuya David
Photos by Aubrey Rowe
Write-up Edited by Seraphina Lotkhamnga
-
Episode 05 Ft. Myron Dimitri Woods
Myron Woods channels the SoCal Poetry Gods during “Threads and Lines” The Clique gets fiery about F-bombs bursting or missing in spoken word during the “2 Piece Combo” and Myron brings it all home with an immaculately concocted poem about black struggle on this episodes “5 For Ya Eye”.
-
Episode 04 Ft. Shelley Bruce
Artist Shelley Bruce throws poetry THIRST TRAPS during “Threads and Lines”; The Clique drops a perfect slam score during the “2 Piece Combo” and Shelley humbles the whole block during the “Five for Ya Eye”.
-
Episode 23 ft. Shalane Goss
How do we grow through heartbreak? On the final episode of season 2, Shalane Goss joins the clique as they dive into their feels and wade through the murky waters of accountability in relationships during ‘Threads and Lines.’ An 18 year old Sarah Kay performing on Def Poetry gets the ‘2 Piece combo’ poetry review treatment, and the clique pull unexpected gold during the #poetry Instagram poetry review. Shalane ends the show with love abounding with her ‘Five for Ya Eye’ prompted poem.
