Fat People in Motion

One really nice thing about Fat Poets Speak 2, if I do say so myself, is that Fat Poets Speak: Living and Loving Fatly contains many more descriptions of fat people moving/in motion than did Fat Poets Speak: Voices of the Fat Poets' Society.

In 2009, at the NAAFA Convention in Washington, DC, Lesleigh Owen, one of the poets featured in both Fat Poets 1 and 2, gave a poetry workshop that emphasized moving. She hit a deeply felt chord. The workshop was electrified. Poems poured out of the workshop attendees about moving.

It is a sensitive, highly emotional topic for fat people for many reasons. Some fat people feel that they have trouble moving and getting into places:  public transport, bathrooms, planes, restaurants (all varieties), stores, amusement parks, chairs in classrooms - and so many more. Some fat people are harassed when they try to accomplish movement that they like: walking, running, dancing, training, games.

In one way or another, the subject of movement  brings up many issues for those of us who are fat. I seem to remember that one person who attended that workshop was crying as she wrote. It is wonderfully cathartic for fat people to write about moving and their feelings about it.

Thank you again, Lesleigh, and thank you, poets.