Hannah Green
Hannah Green is a first-year medical student at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. She graduated from Northwestern University undergraduate in 2021 with a BA in Sociology. While she has not pursued poetry in a structured environment for a few years, she continues to read and write in her free time. Outside of creative writing, Hannah works for a public health research lab focusing on reproductive health equity. Her passion for bodily autonomy informs her poetry through anatomical extended metaphors and imagery.
The impact of poetry and the spoken word club
I never knew I would fall in love with poetry. But as Peter Kahn has a reputation of doing, he reeled me into the art form. I first performed during the Freshman English poetry slam (a curricular requirement for all 9th graders) and joined Spoken Word my sophomore year. I cannot overstate the love, community, and joy that the space brought me. Whether it was while sitting in the Spoken Word office before school (or during lunch...or after school), creating movements for an impromptu team open mic during a meeting, or lugging around all 9 members of Slam Team in my barely functional mini-van, I was constantly surrounded by unconditional support and friendship. Adolescent hardships could have dampened this vibrant community, but it never did. Spoken Word was my home throughout high school, as it was for so many young poets. Not only were we able to craft our writing through the incredible mentorship of Peter Kahn and Adam Levin, we were constantly uplifted for our attributes and successes outside of poetry. I have yet to discover a community like this one. A community where you are pushed to be a better writer and individual, but treated with empathy, love, and agency (even at 14 years old). Spoken Word gave me my best memories, like screaming in joy in my backyard with all the members of Slam Team when we made it to quarterfinals after a dismal bout. It taught me how to be resilient in the face of hardship, how to be a more empathetic person, and it gave me amazing friendships with so many types of people. Spoken Word showed me that no matter how hard things get, there are always people (or poetry) to turn to for support. I miss this community so dearly, and I’m incredibly thankful for what it gave me.
Top favorite poets or lyricists
Poets: Aracelis Girmay, Danez Smith, Patricia Smith
Lyricists: Janelle Monae, Jamila Woods, Taylor Swift
Writing Prompts
Compare a place in your home to a thing (“The kitchen is a groaning heart post-arrest”)
Take a poetic tour of your home, zooming in on particular memories
”I know my family based on…”