Voices of Our Elders: An Audio Poetry Chapbook

This project is an "audio poem" chapbook, culled from an oral history interview with LGBT Latino elder Manuel Garza, about his life before Stonewall. It was created in my Experiments in Oral History course during my graduate studies in the M.A. in Media Studies program at The New School. This project is a unique take on an oral history interview. I'm using the structure of poetry within audio, to shed a light on this important time in history, from someone who lived it. Yes there are many books on this topic, but I think hearing someone's words makes a powerful statement, and it's important for us to know the long way we have come since then. I created this piece to honor his experiences and how they have paved the way for the many battles we have won, thanks to LGBT elders like Manuel. A lot of our LGBT elders don't get to have their stories told, when they are gone so are their voices. I wanted this project to be that opportunity for him, to have his voice and stories heard. So I listened with empathy, kindness, and respect. I went with creating audio poems because as a poet, this presentation approach really intrigued me. I think sharing these poems would be great for anyone to hear, regardless if they are LGBT or not because these stories remain relevant.