CEA CAPA Directory

My favorite class at the CEA CAPA London center was my Queer Studies & LGBTQ+ Life in London and the Global World. We went on several field studies like to the Photographers’ Gallery to see a queer history exhibit and explored the streets of Soho to learn how urban renewal affected the LGBTQ+ community. Also, we analyzed the undercurrent of queerness within classic novels like The Yellow Wallpaper and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Overall, we had the best discussions in class regarding gender vs. sex, the sexuality spectrum, trans rights, how queer culture differs between the U.S. and the UK, and so on. Our lovely professor, Richard Maguire, kept us entertained the entire 3-hour long class by providing different media (music videos, news articles, images, movie trailers) which was extremely helpful.

I engaged with the local community in London, England by attending an open mic and writers retreat hosted by a Black British poet in Bermondsey. I shared my original poetry with the intimate audience of artists underneath candlelight, created fun collages, and engaged in conversations about the issues affecting the writing industry in the U.S. and UK today. Also, I interacted with On-the-Spot poets on Millennium Bridge. As I was waiting for him to answer the prompt: falling in love with the city for the first time, we drew the attention of another poet, Chris Cooper. He encouraged me to read my best poem aloud, and a crowd quickly gathered. I immediately felt validated as a writer and knew right then that London could become my home too.