Sunset Press shares poetry in collaboration with Tiny Rug
“On Sunday night, the bookstore’s Tiny Rug Concert broke from the usual cozy acoustic concerts for a celebration of poetry. Students sat cross-legged as they listened to Sunset Press’ 2024 writers — Nicole Wang ’26, Will Madden ’26 and Dawsen Mercer ’26 — share their poems and short stories from their forthcoming chapbooks, followed by an hour-long open mic that welcomed other talented Kenyon poets to read their work.
Accompanied by the gentle hum of air conditioning, the audience snapped to welcome the first reader, Madden, to the microphone. Madden’s soothing voice infused his poems with a romantic melancholy. In an interview after the event, Madden said, “My poetry is largely inspired by my experiences growing up trans in Oklahoma, the contradictions that can arise from an embodied feeling that isn’t recognized by the state or the community.” Madden is also deeply inspired by his younger brother, Fishie, whom he describes as the person he holds dearest in the world. Fishie, like Madden, is also a trans man. Madden is aggrieved that Fishie continues to live in a state that restricts facilities for the trans community. “Unsurprisingly, Fishie continues to practice his own transness with a fierceness, joy and creativity that inspires those around him,” Madden said. Sibling bonds gave Madden strength and inspiration in the face of tumbling institutions. “
