Award-winning writer Lenelle Moise ’02 will perform a selection of her work as part of National Coming Out Day celebrations at 7 p.m. today in Emerson Suites. Moise spoke with Accent Editor Vanessa Schneider about tonight’s performance, “Queer(ed) Poems: An Evening with Lenelle Moise.”

Accent: How did you get started writing poetry and plays? And eventually go on to perform?

Lenelle Moise: I’ve been writing since I was 5 years old. My godfather, an uncle, was a poet. When I was little, he was out of work and lived with us. He demanded one to two pages of rhymed couplets from me daily and insisted that I recite it to him. As a result, I learned quite early that a poem is not complete until it’s read or heard. ... I happened onto playwriting out of necessity. I grew up in the projects — in various violent neighborhoods outside of Boston — and wasn’t allowed to play outside as a child. So, to entertain myself, I spent hours recording improvisational plays on my mother’s little cassette player.

A: What are some themes in your work?

LM: My poems can be classified as “autobiofiction.” I write about masculinities, spirit, sexuality, race, gender and class — often from a bicultural (Haitian-American) and feminist perspective. I tell true stories, recalling the childhood experiences that helped shape my identity today.

A: What are you going to address in your performance today?

LM: I’ll be reading and reciting from my repertoire of poems that address sexuality and self-naming. In a culture that often forces us to check little white boxes to describe ourselves, I think it’s important for all of us to name ourselves for ourselves — personally and politically, privately and publicly.

A: Did your time at Ithaca College play a role on the themes you address or on your work in general?

LM: Absolutely. ... College is a time for exploration and analysis, and I certainly did that. I think being able to design my own major, planned studies in women and storytelling, made me realize I wasn’t just one type of artist. I got to take courses in almost every building on campus — not the norm for BFA acting or film majors. As a result, ... I refuse to “specialize” in theater or dance or film. ... Having the freedom to cross boundaries in modes of artistic expression helps me “think outside the box” when it comes down to identity politics, too.