Houdini the Musical
by Muriel Rukeyser
Poetry Challenge
sponsored by YpsiWrites
YpsiWrites is inviting youth and adults to submit original poems to celebrate the upcoming performance of Muriel Rukeyser's musical, Houdini, at Riverside Arts Center, Thursday, March 24, 2022.
This Poetry Challenge is inspired by upcoming readings of Muriel Rukeyser’s Houdini at EMU, the Matrix in Detroit, and Riverside.
Selected poems will be featured on the YpsiWrites website and on a portable Poetry Wall that will be on display at EMU and at the Riverside Arts Center during special events and staged readings of the Houdini musical. The poetry wall will also be displayed at the Ypsilanti District Library.
Prompts are available on the YpsiWrites website and on our social media (https://www.facebook.com/YpsiWrites and https://www.instagram.com/ypsiwrites/).
There are no form guidelines; poems may be any style or length.
Submit your poem through this Google Form.
Submission deadline: March 11th, 2022
Prompts for Writing Inspiration
What does freedom mean to you?
What 'locks' do you want to break out of? How? What are your keys?
Houdini was an escape artist who broke free from many chains and restraints. Write a poem inspired by his magical escapes.
In the musical, Houdini's wife, Bess, says "What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life? The world would split open." Write a poem inspired by this line.
Poetry Workshop
To support poets who would like to write for this challenge, we are offering a poetry workshop with poet David Boeving on Saturday, February 26, 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. via Zoom.
Register for this workshop, Poetic Escape!, through this Google Form.