ABSTRACT
For performing poets committed to engaging an audience, many creative possibilities beckon as ways forward. Generic experimentation can lead from a dramatic poetry to a poetic drama, as in the case of Liz Lochhead’s recent work in the theater. However, a performing poet no longer needs to turn to the mainstream theater for greater exposure. Media experimentation also offers new potential for poetry, as in the case of Jackie Kay’s televised poems, Twice Through the Heart (1992) and Sabbath (1995).2 Because of its subject matter, Twice, in particular, reveals the challenges and rewards of using a filmed poetry for feminist purposes. In retelling the story of Amelia Rossiter, an abused wife imprisoned for killing her husband, Kay explores how word and image might work together to explode the cultural stereotyping of women, in this case so-called ‘husband killers.’3 As Kay explains, ‘I was interested in women who kill, who’ve been abused and battered for years: the day you suddenly snap, and how your life changes; you’ve become a “murderer,” and how unreal that is.’4
