Episode Title:
Ollie Schminkey's Land of 10,000 Lakes: Poetry on Minnesota, Police Violence, Immigration Enforcement, and Community Resistance
Episode Description:
In this episode of Midweek Pause for Peace, host Laura Davis shares Ollie Schminkey's powerful poem that weaves together images of Minnesota's natural beauty and neighborly warmth with the harsh realities of police brutality, ICE raids, and community resistance.
Through carefully selected imagery paired with this moving work of witness poetry, Laura honors how love transforms from sentiment to action when communities face state violence. This episode offers support for anyone processing immigration enforcement, seeking poetry that documents resistance, or looking for language that holds both tenderness and fierce protection.
What Laura Covers in This Episode:
How Schminkey transforms Minnesota's iconic imagery—tater tot hot dish, the loon's call, northern lights—into a framework for understanding what happens when wholesome community life collides with masked men demanding papers and kicking down doors
The poem's documentation of state violence against immigrants and communities of color: blood on car headrests, people stolen from cars and jobs and homes, boots and camo and guns flooding familiar streets
Why whistles shrieking morning, noon, and night become the sound of community resistance, alongside kicking teargas back under SUVs, sex-shop-turned-community-centers, grocery store drop-offs, and signal chats coordinating protection
How the Minnesota goodbye—bad at letting go of those we love, shoes on in the entryway, refusing to open the door—becomes a metaphor for communities who will not abandon neighbors, proving that love is a verb through tater tot hot dish discreetly delivered and cabins offered as safe houses
About Host Laura Davis:
Laura Davis is an acclaimed author and writing teacher with over 35 years of experience helping writers craft powerful, authentic stories. She is the author of seven books, including the award-winning memoir "The Burning Light of Two Stars," which won the BookLife Prize in 2021. Laura is also co-author of the groundbreaking book "The Courage to Heal."
Through her Midweek Pause for Peace podcast series, Laura pairs carefully selected poetry with peaceful imagery to support listeners' emotional wellness and nervous system regulation.
Each week, host Laura Davis pairs beautiful imagery with meaningful poetry, offering listeners a respite for both heart and nervous system. These midweek pauses provide essential moments of reflection, healing, and inspiration in our complex world.
Perfect for: Anyone seeking Laura Davis' signature blend of poetry and peace, those managing stress and anxiety, and listeners who appreciate thoughtful, heart-centered content.
About the Featured Poet:
Ollie Schminkey (they/them) is a nonbinary transgender poet, musician, ceramist, and instructor based in St. Paul, Minnesota. They are the author of two full-length poetry collections, Where I Dry the Flowers (Button Poetry, 2024) and Dead Dad Jokes (Button Poetry, 2021), which was shortlisted for both the Midwest Independent Publishers Association and the Eric Hoffer Grand Prize, as well as four chapbooks. Schminkey has spent over a decade coaching, mentoring, and teaching poets, and they facilitate Well-Placed Commas, a free weekly writing workshop serving primarily queer and trans writers.
They are the founder and director of Midwest Poetry Mash-Up, a national slam poetry tournament, and winner of the 2024-25 Palette Previously Published Poem Prize. Their work has been featured in Poets.org, Frontier Poetry, and numerous other publications, with their poetry performances garnering over 3 million views on YouTube. Schminkey's work has been supported by grants from the Minnesota Regional Arts Council and the Minnesota State Arts Board.
Connect with Laura Davis:
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