Simple Separate Person
By Ciara McKay
My project is a blackout poetry piece using Walt Whitman’s poem “One’s Self I Sing.” I am a poetry aficionado, so this piece is the perfect marriage between my existing love of writing and my newfound interest in the digital sphere.
a simple
separate person,
from top to toe
complete is worthier far,
immense in passion,
The Modern Man
Process
I created this project because I have always loved the idea of blackout poetry. I had never been able to make it look the way I wanted it to by hand but was able to through the app Blackout Bard. I built on my design skills during this project and learned about a new tool to further my artistic expression.
Meet the Pair
MENTEE CIARA MCKAY & MENTOR HANNAH WORBY
Ciara’s Anecdote: I have a lot of things to thank Hannah for (like helping me get into my dream school with her dope editing skills), but the biggest thing is for always being there, and being understanding. From our first session editing my college essay over tea to our latest FaceTime call, our meetings have always felt warm and safe. Our tea and Edna St. Vincent Millay–filled sessions are totally unforgettable.
Hannah’s Anecdote: A hot cup of tea, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and laughter. Like slumber parties for poets, meetings with Ciara were silly and comfortable, evenings that we spent smiling and making fun of ourselves and finding new things to laugh about and new stanzas to pore over. Her writing, though, brings a maturity and a resolution that press beyond those bubbly evenings. For all her cozy silliness, Ciara is strength. Composure. Her writing grounds you in a reality all her own, yet firmly accessible. She inspires me, and I am so grateful to have sat across a café table with her all those tea-, Millay-, and giggle-filled nights. Ciara is everything!
Ciara McKay
Ciara McKay is a class of 2020 Girls Write Now mentee based in Brooklyn, NY.
