The Poet X

How does Xiomara reckon with her own silence? Have you ever felt silenced? Why or why not? How did you work to overcome this silence?

What do you think “holding a poem in the body” means? Do you think you have words living inside of you? What words are they?

What are the rules, implicit and explicit, that Xiomara identifies her mother having for her? Are they different from rules her mother sets for other people? Why or why not? What rules do you live by?

How does Xiomara feel about her brother being gay? How does she think her silence affects Twin? Have you ever stayed silent and wished you hadn’t? How can you speak up in your own life?

How does silence protect Xiomara? How does Xiomara’s silence harm the people she is closest to? How do her words free her? Reflect on times in your own life when silence has protected you or someone else. Now, think about times when silence has harmed you or others. Does the intent always match the impact?

What is it about writing that makes Xiomara feel brave? What makes you feel brave? How can you use an activity or creative outlet to inspire bravery in yourself or in others? Discuss the different ways that art can be brave.

How does Xiomara’s relationship with writing change her relationship with her mother over the course of the novel? Why do you think her writing affects her relationship with her mother? What about the church and spirituality—how does X compare and contrast religious expression and poetry?

Why does Xiomara feel as though “[her] words are okay” when she is in Ms. Galiano’s class but not when she is with other people or in other places (pg. 264)? Do you have places where your words feel more safe and places where they feel less safe? What makes a person or a place feel safe? How can you create safety in a place where it might be lacking?

Have you ever heard a poem or song or watched a movie that made you feel seen? What is it about that particular piece of art that affected you in that way? Are there ways in which you can use your voice to make others around you feel seen? How can you show others they’ve been heard?

Why does Xiomara call poetry club a prayer circle? Do you think that writing can be healing? Do you think art can be healing? How can different artistic expressions work to heal various wounds?