These documents are just a few samples of the ways poetry has been used by by specific, often marginalized, populations a a tool for self-expression, self-awareness, and a way to explore and embrace their own unique life experiences.
First Peoples
The Incarcerated
The Echo by Call Number: TxD C4835.6 EC44Publication Date: August 1944-currentThis monthly newspaper, produced by and for inmates in the Texas criminal justice system, contains news stories, policy updates, opinion pieces, creative works such as poetry and fiction, and other information. For a study of the purpose and effectiveness of this publication, see A Critical Examination of "The Echo": Prison Publication of the Texas Department of Corrections, a 1977 thesis by NTSU Journalism student David A. Hadeler.
The Elderly
Care and Independent Living Services for Aging: Competency Based Teaching Module by Call Number: HE 19.134:AG 4Publication Date: 1977Part of a series of teaching modules for training workers in various areas of occupational home economics. This particular module includes an anthology of poems and prose excerpts about love and old age, general attitudes toward aging, religious perspectives on aging, and death and dying that can be used to stimulate discussions among students about how different people experience the aging process.