Ada Limón and Natalie Diaz Discuss “Envelopes of Air”
May 23, 2018
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Award-winning poets Ada Limón and Natalie Diaz discuss their collaborative poetry project 'Envelopes of Air.' They explore the intimate process of exchanging poems through letters, focusing on shared themes, personal connections, cultural identity, and nature. The conversation highlights the organic collaboration in poetry and introduces the New Yorker's online poetry section.
The collaboration between Ada Limón and Natalie Diaz created a unique and intimate space through letter correspondences.
By refraining from discussing the poems' content, they unveiled vulnerability and emotional honesty in their work.
Deep dives
Genesis of a Poetry Project
The poetry collaboration between Ada Limon and Natalie Diaz stemmed from a shared desire to create a unique and intimate space through letter correspondences. Initially hesitant about artistic boundaries, they found solace in writing these letters as honest expressions to each other, fostering a deep connection.
Exploring Intimate Dialogues
Their dialogue extended beyond typical conversations as they refrained from discussing the poems' content, allowing the language to exist in a sacred and private realm. This unusual approach unveiled vulnerability and emotional honesty, creating a space where they could freely express themselves without constraints.
Cultivating Connection Through Poetry
The collaborative poetry project led them to explore shared themes of color, displacement, and cultural identities. Embracing their connectedness to the earth and each other, the poems evolved into a celebration of friendship, offering a sense of radical intimacy that enriched their poetic expressions.
Ada Limón and Natalie Diaz join Kevin Young to discuss their collaborative poetry project, “Envelopes of Air,” a series of eight poems written in correspondence between the two poets, currently featured on newyorker.com.