berni m janssen on poetry, feminism and radicalism

Spoken Word

berni m janssen, a text artist, performer, Creative Director, and facilitator, works solo and with artists (musicians, performers, writers, composers, visual artists) from diverse communities to make art for over 40 years. She has been an artsworker, artist in residence, workshop facilitator, mentor. Her work appears in books, anthologies, magazines and online. She lives in Dja Dja Wurrung Country in the Central Highlands of Victoria. Her book, ENA (Hullick Studios, 2022), is a text art book that draws on the traditions of poetry and ‘spoken word’ art forms. The text is narrated by the character, ENA, who is a feminist looking back on her life as a young activist and then contemplating her position in the world as an older creative thinker. The book is available for purchase here: https://hullickstudios.com/product/ena-berni-m-janssen-book/Her book, between wind and water (Spinifex Press, 2018), is a series of poems that tell the stories of people who, after a windfarm is built in their neighbourhood, find that they begin to experience problems, including sleep disruption, headaches, nausea, anxiety. These poems tell of their experience and of their trying to make sense of what is happening. The book is available for purchase here: https://www.spinifexpress.com.au/shop/p/9781925581591 Photo: Vicki JonesProduction and Interview: Tina Giannoukos