Afaa Weaver, Poet and Teacher Extraordinaire

Last week, Saint Stephen's brought Afaa Weaver to campus to work as a poet in residence with students in all four divisions. Weaver has worked as a poet, playwright, editor, translator, journalist and essayist. He is a professor of English at Simmons College, and before he returned to Brown University for his MFA, he worked in a factory for 15 years. He is fluent in Mandarin and has spent time over the past 11 years working in Taiwan. He is a true Renaissance man and a gifted teacher.

He started his time in the lower divisions, speaking in chapel, conducting writing workshops with the 6th grade English classes, and practicing Mandarin with the second graders. He then spent a day in the Middle School. He got the students' attention when he asked what it was like to be in eighth grade because he never went. (He skipped a grade.) He also worked with the eighth grade English classes on defining necessary qualities of poetry. Finally, he spent a day with Upper School students in the ninth grade English classes and in speaking about racial inequality in the Literature of the South senior seminar. 

In addition to all of the courses he taught, he also found time to meet individually with students and faculty members, host an evening poetry reading, lecture our faculty on the importance of creativity in the 21st century, and take part in a journalism interview. 

Throughout the week, Weaver was humble and patient. Separately, two ninth grade boys who worked with him described him as "calming." Surprising description from 14 year olds! Accurate nonetheless.

Suggestions on who we should bring to campus next year?