“In the Midst of Songs” / “Ñeñe’i Ha-ṣa:gid”
Collaborators’ Q&A: Poet Ofelia Zepeda: The surprise was the image. As the creator of the poem I have certain images that helped me generate the poem; there are also sensibilities that I have to a certain landscape and also a cultural understanding of the landscape that directed me to write this piece. Artist Kara Page: I liked both languages on the piece. It adds another layer of beauty, and I almost felt as though I would still understand the poem even if it hadn’t been in English because of the painting.
Poet Ofelia Zepeda is a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation of southern Arizona. She is the author of three books of poetry. Artist Kara Page is an acrylic painter who grew up with the sagebrush and dust of Idaho.