We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sarah Anyieth. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sarah below.

Sarah, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

One of the most meaningful projects for me has been facilitating a poetry workshop called “After the Storm.” On May 26, 2024, a devastating tornado hit Rogers, AR where I live. Fortunately, my family and my home were untouched, but many people in my community were not so lucky. I wanted to help my community, but I wasn’t sure how. A month later I could still see the devastating effects of the tornado. Before I was a full-time caregiver for my three-year-old daughter, I taught high school English and occasionally taught poetry classes in the community. I knew firsthand the healing power of writing as I had helped my students use writing to navigate trauma and to connect with others. I partnered with the local library and a local independent bookstore to provide poetry workshops called “After the Storm” where we read poems written about natural disasters. After reading and discussing the poems, participants responded to writing prompts and then had an opportunity to share their writing with the group. It was a powerful experience. Mothers wrote about huddling under mattresses with their children and the innocent yet profound questions their little ones still ask about the trees that fell and the buildings that were destroyed. People shared their frustrations with insurance companies, and the devastation of losing trees that had stood in their yards for generations. After that experience, I decided that I wanted to do more poetry workshops and that there was a need in the community for people to connect through poetry.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a teacher, mother, published poet, and the creator of NWA Poetry Connection, a creative and welcoming community in Northwest Arkansas that provides space for people to connect with themselves and others through poetry. I’m originally from southwest Arkansas where I grew up on a farm with 32,000 chickens. Books were my window to the world, and writing became my outlet when I felt lonely or like I didn’t fit in. After teaching English in Japan for 2 years, I decided I wanted to be a high school English teacher. I taught for 9 years before becoming a full-time stay-at-home mom. Though I love teaching my daughter and going on playdates, I missed teaching and connecting with people through reading and writing. After facilitating themed poetry workshops for about six months, I started hosting a monthly poetry open mic night that is free for the community. I also facilitate a monthly poetry book club at a local independent bookstore, Two Friends Books. When I’m not reading poetry or hosting an open mic, I enjoy spending time with my husband, my daughter and my two opinionated cats.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I sometimes hear people say “I’m not a writer.” or “I don’t think I’d call myself a poet.” My response is “If you write, you’re a writer. If you write a poem, you’re a poet!” I think the literary world and probably the creative arts in general can often have this elitism or pretension that excludes people or makes them doubt the value of their voice. I believe everyone has a story, and I want to provide space for that. My goal is for everyone, from a beginner to a seasoned poet, to be able to enjoy the workshops, learn something about themselves, and connect with other people. One of my regular participants who has an MFA in Creative Writing says that what sets my workshops apart is the nurturing and welcoming environment I create. Other people have told me that what they love about my classes is my selection of poems which are thought-provoking yet accessible. I’m proud of the poetry community I’ve created in Rogers/Bentonville, Arkansas. I love seeing the same friendly faces at the open mic, the book clubs, and my workshops. I also love seeing my regulars welcoming new people and getting their contact information and inviting them to lunch or other poetry events. I always tell the audience that they have an assignment at Poetry Open Mic Night: if someone’s poem resonated with you, please do not leave until you tell that person what their words meant to you. I’ve seen beautiful conversations and friendships develop from that “assignment”.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Thank you for this question. I’ve been fortunate to have community support from the Rogers/Lowell Chamber of Commerce and Go Downtown Rogers. They featured Poetry Open Mic Night and some of my other poetry workshops in their newsletter and press releases. They also connected me with media and news outlets to highlight my work. Most of my advertising is through Facebook and Instagram or word of mouth so being featured in the newspaper and on the local news was helpful in reaching people who don’t use social media, especially those from older generations.

Many of the artists I have met are also mothers. As a society, I think we have to figure out ways to support parents who are creatives. Childcare and money are major concerns for many of my artist friends. We need spaces where we can work for an hour or two while our children play. I know some community centers provide workspace and child care options for their members, but we need more of this.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @nwapoetry
• Facebook: NWA Poetry Connection

Image Credits
Briana Loeb