In the final segment of this three-part episode, It’s a Poetic Life turns to the transformative power of art and curation in bridging cultural, geographic, and ideological divides. Curator Amy Rosenblum-Martín joins host Enzo Silon Surin for a compelling conversation on how exhibitions become spaces of resistance, reclamation, and relationship-building. From her work on Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration to Swagger and Tenderness, Amy reflects on the curatorial responsibility to amplify underrepresented voices while navigating institutional tensions and public resistance.

Together, they explore how art unsettles comfort, disrupts dominant narratives, and serves as a poetic force for connection in fragmented times. This segment asks: How do museums and curators hold space for authenticity amid systemic resistance to equity? What happens when storytelling becomes a collective bridge rather than an individual expression?

Listen in for a resonant close to a conversation rooted in the everyday work of creating true community.

In one of the most intimate and resonant conversations of It’s a Poetic Life, Addie Tsai and I explore the complexities of identity, belonging, and the myth of inclusion. Moving beyond the structural challenges of diversity and representation, this episode delves into the deeply personal—how we navigate the ever-shifting landscape of selfhood in a world that often demands we define ourselves in rigid terms.

Addie, a writer, poet, professor, and creative force, shares how their experiences as a mirror twin, biracial individual, and nonbinary person have shaped their perspective on fluidity—not just in identity, but in creativity, community, and survival. We discuss the tension between assimilation and authenticity, the pressure to conform even within marginalized spaces, and the ways in which true belonging often resists easy categorization.

From Audre Lorde’s challenge to define ourselves before the world does it for us to James Baldwin’s insistence that true community must allow for critique, this episode asks: What does it mean to live at the intersections of multiple identities? How do we navigate spaces where we are simultaneously insiders and outsiders? And ultimately, how do we create spaces where multiplicity is not just tolerated, but celebrated?

Join us for this thought-provoking and life affirming discussion.

Across histories and cultures, people have grappled with the meaning of belonging. Who gets to be part of a community? Who decides? And how do we navigate the spaces we call home when definitions of inclusion shift?

This episode was conceived last summer, but its relevance couldn’t be more timely. In this first installment of a three-part conversation, I sit down with Danielle Marshall, founder and principal consultant at Culture Principles, to explore the evolving nature of community, identity, and access.

We examine how labels shape perception, why flattening identities can erase individual experience, and how storytelling fosters real connection. We also address why diversity as a word often provokes fear, why equity is frequently misunderstood, and how these misconceptions can lead people to self-exclude from conversations that directly impact them. Whether in workplaces, neighborhoods, or cultural spaces, we often navigate unspoken boundaries that define who is welcomed and who remains on the margins.

As we dive into this three-part discussion, we explore the stories and structures that determine who is embraced and who is pushed to the edges. What defines true belonging, and who gets to set the terms? Tune in to this first segment as we begin unraveling these essential questions.