With the ever-echoing cry of “publish or perish” it’s easy to forget that there are other ways besides literary magazines to have our work reach an audience. Christina Seymour, MFA candidate in poetry, has reminded us all that the other ways can be extremely powerful. One of Christina’s poems, “Home is Dead When He Fights,” is on display in Speak Peace, a travelling exhibit that pairs poetry with art from Vietnamese children. In pairing the paintings with the poems, the exhibit’s website says that its goal is to “to promote healing and reconciliation.” Furthermore, the website says, “Speak Peace offers a timely testament to the emotional truth of war and peace.” This exhibit and Christina’s work reminds us as writers that writing can illuminate more than just space on a page, it can speak to larger issues of war and peace and the necessary healing that follows. Read Christina’s poem and see the accompanying painting here.

To listen to NPR’s segment about the exhibit, follow the link.