what i believe
I believe that the purpose of writing is to lead us deeper into ourselves, and from there, further out into the world with a keener understanding of our place in it.
what i do
I write and perform poems and lyric text around the U.S. and beyond, at schools and festivals and conferences and wherever people gather. I work with crowds of thousands and groups of 10 and one-on-one to dive deep and open wide in the brutal and glorious ways language allows.
what folks are saying
“Marty gives more than a poetry reading; she gives insight on her process, deep-felt lessons in self-care and self-risk, and launches a fireball of positive energy into the crowd.”
“Marty McConnell is not for the faint of heart: The artist’s performance poetry blows through the border checkpoints of faith, freedom, gender, humanity, integrity and sex in ways that are frequently beautiful, sometimes transgressive and, in her most exhilarating work, both at once.”
“Marty McConnell’s poems grab the so-called “academy” by the hand and the spoken word movement by the shirt tail, and remind them they’re play cousins. To witness her in action is a treat.”
