“My History of Lead”
Collaborators’ Q&A
What is behind your choice of this piece of art in response to Flint, Michigan’s contaminated drinking water?
Artist Lisa Sette: An aerial view of a river reminded me of the earth’s veins.
Why did this piece of art resonate for you or seem like it would give you an avenue into writing about Flint?
Poet Jill McDonough: It was so quiet—insidious as an x-ray of bad news you can’t read.
What do you think is the role of art in regards to real-world, real-time events? In other words, what makes a “successful” occasional or political piece of writing or art?
Artist Lisa Sette: I think art is an expression of one’s social, mental and spiritual state. What is happening in the world gets filtered into your art.
Poet Jill McDonough: Art helps us think about hard things. If it helps its maker solve a problem, think through something hard, or if it helps a viewer approach something in a new way, that’s success.