Daniel Summerhill

How did you become interested in the CAH project you are working on this year?

When I discovered the theme for this year, "Re-Imagining Futures," I immediately thought about abolition, which is synonymous with the idea of re-imagining. The butterfly has become a symbol of the work of prison abolition in that when you look at a caterpillar, one does not imagine a butterfly, and as the caterpillar moves through it different iterations, we definitely don't imagine it sprouting vibrant wings capable of lifting its body into the air, in search of something more free, yet, there are 18,000 species of butterflies floating around the world, each a testament to transformation. A testament to the quotidian nature of hope. A metaphor for us to stretch our faith, to elongate our imagination. Since my practice is poetry, I decided to invite other poets who work at the intersection of prison-abolition and creative writing. 

What kind of an impact do you hope your project will have–whether on your field, the community, our campus, etc.?

Since joining the Abolition and Decolonization Education Collection (ADEC) at my former institution and learning more about the literary ancestry that I am in the lineage of, I have gained a great deal of sense about the responsibility of the artist and how it should be informed by the people, as Langston Hughes would say. In the same way a politician is supposed to be an ear and service to the people, so should a poet, attuning their ear and hearts to the world. I hope more folks lean into the dream sides of their minds and in doing so, can conceive of a world where people have access to food, shelter, health, art, and leisure in a way that prevents crime. I hope folks realize there is a world of possibilities outside of carcerality. I hope people are moved, even if only by an inch. 

Why do you think the arts and/or humanities are important?

Art distills the world in a way that most enterprises do not. It allows for us to connect, lean in, understand, and empathize with others in ways that are counter to the capital driven-society that we navigate everyday. It is balm. It is salve. It is instructive. It provides us with tools to combat despair. It provides tools for us to transform. 

What does (re) imagining futures mean to you?

It means leaning into the dream side of the mind and thinking beyond oneself and one's own sphere of reference. It means people of the global majority thriving because of their diverse make-up, not in spite of it. It means a future that is capable of looking beyond the status quo and pushing the boundary to something more empathetic and human.