How poetry saved me from a cult | Diannely Antigua | TEDxPortsmouth

When award-winning poet and educator, Diannely Antigua, was nine years old, she and her family fell prey to a religious cult. For a decade, every aspect of her life was controlled, from what she could wear to who she would ultimately become. What helps her escape the cult is poetry, letting it guide her to her own inner voice. In this emotional and inspiring talk, Antigua shares her story of survival—the trauma, the aftermath, and her triumph.

Diannely Antigua is a Dominican American poet and educator, born and raised in Massachusetts. Her debut collection, “Ugly Music,” was a 2020 Whiting Award winner. Her second poetry collection, “Good Monster,” is forthcoming with Copper Canyon Press in May 2024. She received her BA in English at University of Massachusetts Lowell and her MFA in poetry at New York University. She currently teaches in the MFA writing program at the University of New Hampshire as the inaugural Nossrat Yassini Poet in Residence. She hosts the podcast “Bread & Poetry” and is currently the Poet Laureate of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the youngest and first person of color to receive that title.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx