‘Lawyer Charged With Committing Poetry’ performs1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minuteHuman rights lawyer and peace activist Eric Sirotkin has decided he can reach a lot more people by entertaining them with his drama, poetry slams and documentary film than fighting in court – so he has let his attorney’s license lapse.
Sirotkin notes that his workshops train people in skills of participatory democracy, working with other groups, resolving conflicts and using media.
“It’s the process that counts,” he says. “…You learn that your creativity far exceeds the obstacles they put in your way. You can get kind of depressed. I refuse to go there.”
“Committing Poetry in Times of War“, about the firing of Albuquerque high school teacher Bill Nevins, who showcased his students’ anti-war verse on the opening day of the Iraq War, picked up Best Poetry Film at the Telluride Talking Gourd Poetry Festival and Best Human Rights Film at Taos Mountain Festival.
