Pacific Index

Issue date: 4/25/08 Section: Senior Projects

Media Credit: Rachael Burbank Amy Young, who was diagnosed with cancer in March, didn't let her disease stop her from bringing down the house with her collection of poetry in "Dying for Her Sins"

Creative Writing major, Amy Young, left not seat or floor space empty as she read from her collection of poetry during her senior project presentation Wednesday afternoon.

"Dying for Her Sins," the title of her chapbook as well as the title of a poem in the collection, compiled an intertwined mix of themes that kept a contagious laughter in the room, especially initiated from the author herself.

Young referenced Sharon Olds as a poet she admired and studied to give the collection a natural flow in emotion and theme. Olds is an example of a poet who has made the complete sacrifice to become a full time poet, and Young exemplified this drive.

Young began the reading with "Chrissy's Room," a poem that incorporates the surrounding emotions dealing with a friend of Young's who died of breast cancer. Ironically, she said that the first draft of this poem was written just prior to founding out that Young has cancer.

Poetry helps Young sort our difficult topics and events that she has been though. While she said writing is a great form of therapy, she concluded, "There is a vast difference in pouring your feelings onto a page and writing a poem. One is for a journal, the other for an audience."

Young was diagnosed with cancer in mid-March when the majority of her project had already been compiled. The themes she kept focused on all reside in her title poem, "Dying for Her Sins" which narrates the idea of Jesus being a woman. Young said, "A female Jesus would not only have a much harder time speaking to the masses and mingling with the people, but also would not be pure enough to die for everyone's sins."

Religion has a strong narration though the poems she recited. Other reoccurring themes were family, the body, and the threat of violence. Young made clear the violence she was referring to was the kind seen in a grocery store aisle between mother and child.

Between heavy themes, she cut into quirky and dirty limericks that kept everyone awake and engaged for the next deep breath.

A poem titled "Frutiflies" that Young has been working on since her introduction to poetry class, compared her squashing fruitflies in the kitchen to the abuse from a step-father to his wife. This family theme was then brought to the body in a poem where the narrator discusses nipple hair with a female family member. Young also read a poem dedicated to her belly, cursing it for its annoyance and embracing it for all its natural beauty.

Young brings together the tension, the tenderness, and the quirky sides to any family dynamics. While Young is not shy about revealing herself and the fullness of her family, both her brothers were in attendance for the reading, anyone could see the magic Young brought to the room.

Her chapbook, which she and one of her brothers made together, is 13 pages long. Young announced, "Good thing I'm not superstitious," which set the tone for the rest of the reading

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