Because I am a brother of the dragon, call me dragonfly.
When I dream of the train riding our parallel spines, carrying
our history, the weight that turns my brother into fire, makes me
a dart of scattered light...
—"For Brothers of the Dragon"
from
Lighthead, by Terrance Hayes

Terrance Hayes has been called a "confessional poet" in some circles. There is no subject too intimate, taboo, or mundane that he won't offer to the chopping block, crafting out of it the poetry that has garnered him much acclaim. But writing poetry itself isn't his only M.O. He travels across the country giving readings. As professor of creative writing, he teaches and brings poetry into the community sphere. He describes himself as a visitor no matter where he is, and perhaps this perspective adds to his constant invention and re-invention.

Lately, he's been working on his new book of poetry, Lighthead (Penguin, 2010). It will be a new take on many of his thematic obsessions—identity, masculinity, familial relationships, pop-culture—playing with the discrepancy between dreams and reality. Among the figures to make an appearance are the brothers of Malcolm X and also Afrobeat musician Fela Kuti.

In terms of form, Hayes has developed a novel way to structure narrative poems through the influence of Pecha Kucha (chit-chat) forums, where presenters typically show 20 images for 20 seconds apiece, for a total time of 6 minutes, 40 seconds. The format, originated in Japan by architects as a way to give engaging public presentations, has come to be embraced internationally by the arts world.

Hayes' acclaimed body of work, as well as his creative pursuit of forms, such as Pecha Kucha, led him to receive the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship Award earlier this year. He will use the fellowship to finish Lighthead and to travel to Japan to explore more creative possibilities with the Pecha Kucha format.
—Danielle Commisso (HS'06)