Extra Credit- Nesting

                                 Motherhood & Nesting
     
        I attended the poetry reading and exhibit Nesting, with photography by Erin LaBonte, and poems written by Emilie Lindemann. The theme of the project was motherhood, really connecting to our book, The Blue Jay's Dance. In motherhood we find many differences in gender stereotypes, when it comes to the connection between the mother and child, versus father and child, or the different roles each gender has in parenthood, separating us by sexes. We see a mother as nurturing, and a father as protective. Only women can carry and provide a life force for a child, as a man can only help contribute the necessities to create one. These are stereotypes, and roles in which genders are very easily split in two.
 
         Motherhood can be messy, it's been a concern for women who are labeled, "letting go". In letting go, women lose the urge to focus on self care, and lack the desire to keep up with fashion, and beauty. Erin writes, "smell my fresh-paint smell, my armpit odor, my cereal breath". In this poem Erin relates to all mothers who have experienced the exception that sometimes, we just simply let go of ourselves, and forget the needs of make-up, and dressing up. Changing diapers, wiping away the smell of formula regurgitated, cleaning and sanitizing, consumes women during early motherhood. This is all a part of the experience in itself, to except new duties, and a new sense of self.

        The collaboration between Erin, and Emilie really brought the project to life, as Erin's photo's connected to the poems, and vise versa. Together the two were able to capture important events in motherhood, providing an open perception to the new task as a women. Choosing between the "saddle shoe, or purple suede platform sneaker", seeing her body as a "kerchief-wearing, wide-hipped shell", are all new traits in her evolving new tasks as a mother. We see the paneling background, the plum colored lip stick, and kerchief-wearing dress in Erins pictures, really bringing out the words of Emilie's poems, connecting the two.

       It was a great experience to hear the poems read in Emilie's voice, her connection to the project brought to life. The sense of friendship between the artist, and writer were clear in Erin's announcement that they have worked together on many other projects. Enjoying the collaboration in each other's work, and how they each contributed their own profession, the two have made great progress together as an artist, and writer.