Photo by Elizabeth ClaytonRenowned poet Edwin Torres thrilled his audience with a lively performance of singing, sound effects and spoken word Tuesday night in the Mills Hall living room.
Creating poetry for over a decade, Torres' momentous career boasts television appearances, magazine coverage and museum exhibitions. His writing has graced the pages of literary journals and anthologies. He collaborates with a wide array of artists, has published numerous books and has released multiple CDs. His Mills performance captivated and inspired those in attendance.
"My favorite aspect of tonight's performance was the way he was able to weave language with sound, and I believe he has the ability to make his work stand up on the page as well as on the stage," said MFA poetry student Robyn Brookes.
Senior Sheela Bringi echoed Brookes' enthusiasm and said that she "really loved his singing voice and the way he incorporated singing with the text."
Torres' original compilation of poetry with music, theatre and improvisation gave Mills MFA alumnus Dennis Somera a "contact high."
"I'm in agreement with everything he says," said Somera. "He inspires me and he's my idol because he views poetry as a way to contact all of the points inside of oneself."
"He's pushing back the boundaries of poetry," said Bringi.
