Exiled women and the exiled poet who told their stories

Medea, Helen, and Dido were all exiles (in one way or another). Their voices were amplified by the poet Ovid, who was himself exiled from Rome by the emperor Augustus . International storyteller, Sarah Beth Nelson, weaves together the stories of the women and the poet adding her own reimaginings. 

Why Exile?

Many in the world are far from home and cannot return or no longer feel at home although they haven’t physically relocated. We can relate to exile. There is increasing censorship of books in the United States, with authors, teachers, and librarians accused of harming our youth. We can relate to a silenced poet. Women are losing rights and respect. It can feel as if our voices are getting quieter. We are not trusted to make our own choices. Do we need to be controlled because we are crazy, or are we crazy because we are being controlled? We can relate to these mythological women’s journeys.  

Header photo by Sailko - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65797250