What do you get when you cross a queer activist, feminist, progressivist, and poet? Come to Jack Magee's Pub tonight at 8:00 p.m. to find out. Nationally touring folk poet and activist Alix Olson will be performing, with singer-songwriter Ellis opening for her.
Olson tours more than 200 days a year. She has performed in a variety of arenas, including headlining HBO's Def Poetry Jam and speaking in Washington, D.C. at the March for Women's Lives as well as national conferences for the National Organization for Women, GenderPac, and the Lesbian Summit. Olson has also appeared on Oxygen television, CNN, In the Life and WXPN's World Café.
Olson is appearing as part of Bowdoin's Performing Arts Series. "We have also sought to bring artists who cross a variety of lines, and help reflect the diversity of interests and identities of the Bowdoin community," said Burgie Howard, Director of Student Activities. "Alix Olson is one of those artists. She speaks to many, and for many, here in the Bowdoin community."
Tobias Crawford '07 said, "The whole campus should come to the show. Not everyone will agree with everything she advocates, but that doesn't mean they can't appreciate its presentation."
Olson has been writing since she was a child growing up in a conservative Pennsylvania town with parents who were progressive political science professors. She also has her own production company, Subtle Sister Productions, which published her last two books, "Independence Meal: The Ingredients" and "Built Like That: The Word." She also has recorded two CDs titled after her books.
Her poems cover a wide variety of topics and are unapologetically straightforward. She does not hesitate to explore ideas of sexuality and desire in her poems and make strong political statements.
In her poem "America's on Sale," Olson writes, "It's a remote control America that's on sale/because standing up for justice can't compare/to clicking through it from a lazy chair."
In "Daughter" she writes, "She'll fold airplanes out of shredded Cosmos/and Mademoiselles/then pilot them to Never-Say-Never Land/where Peter Pan's gay and Wendy's ok with it."
But she isn't forcing these ideas on anyone. Olson told The Orient, "I don't know that I have a message per se, but certainly my motivation is to encourage socio-economic egalitarianism, mutual kindness, and a belief that a cacophony of voices represents true democracy. And I'm hell bent on sharing mine. I have my own ideas about religion, feminism, capitalism, but I'm not trying to convert anyone?but if it happens, let me know!"
Olson said that touring has been exciting and she is surprised at how well-received she was on her international tour. "Touring has affected me tremendously because this work is so much about meeting, interacting, translating, listening to people. And I really like people?well, even when I don't like them, I'm fascinated by them," she said.
When asked to what Olson attributes her successes, she said, "Persistence, luck, a committed, powerful, radical crew and, originally, college students who did a lot of work to get me to their schools. Oh, and not having a clue as to what I was doing came in handy too?useful in taking risks!"
Crawford said, "The show promises to be an upbeat, fun way to spend Friday night. Her audience should expect to be inspired, but, at the very least, they'll be exposed to a unique perspective and performance style."
As for Ellis, CAB board members saw her perform at a conference for the National Association for Campus Activities. The Board decided to book her based on the rave reviews they received. Crawford said, "She has an excellent stage presence, a real ability to connect with her audience."