Introduction
Metamorphosis is GJLP’s Poetry AntholoZine meant to encourage both reflection and goal setting by examining where you have come from and where you are headed! Through our own metamorphosis, we transform our pasts into a better future.
The inspiration for this AntholoZine comes from the 2021 GSAN Staff Retreat as well as George Ella Lyon’s poem “Where I’m From.” As Lyon writes, “In such an atmosphere, how can we find our voices and make them heard? One avenue is through poetry, that heart-cry that comes to us in times of love and crisis.” This is our heart-cry, a heart-cry for the trans and gender nonconforming communities that shows our resilience and perseverance. No matter where we are from or what we experience, we are all headed for greatness.
Your poem will have two parts. The first part talks about where you come from physically, mentally, spiritually, etc. These lines will start with the phrase, “I come from…” followed by whatever words you feel represent your life up until this point. The second part talks about where you are headed physically, mentally, spiritually, etc. These lines will start with the phrase, “I’m headed towards…” followed by what you hope your future and the future of trans liberation will look like.
Below you will find the AntholoZine overview, step-by-step guidelines, and examples of the finished product. These should serve as jumping off points and in no way should they limit you or your creativity!
AntholoZine Overview
Click on the images below to get an overview of the Metamorphosis project and learn how to get started. Make sure you are taking care of yourself physically and emotionally during this process. If you ever find yourself needing support, feel free to check out our website’s resources or contact us!
Step-by-step Guidelines
Need additional instruction or extra help? Click here to download the complete Metamorphosis AntholoZine guidelines!
Examples
The following are examples of certain aspects of the Metamorphosis project. The first example is the original George Ella Lyon poem that helped inspire this project. The second image by Gill Platek is a complete project that features part 1 (“I come from…”) and part 2 (“I’m headed towards…”) as well as the graphics surrounding the poem. The remaining poems only focus on part 1 to serve as inspiration, but remember that your poem will include both part 1 (“I come from…”) and part 2 (“I’m headed towards…”).
In addition to part 1 and part 2, you can also include any background or graphic images that you feel represent you. Check out the examples below for inspiration!
