“Barbie Girl” Exercise for Poetry Workshop

In “Barbie Girl,” students read “Barbie Chang’s Tears” by Victoria Change from their assigned October 2016 issue of Poetry and then take a look at “The Last Mojave Indian Barbie” by Natalie Diaz. In doing so, they consider the ways in which poetry can challenge problematic representations in popular culture. Additionally, they are provided with the opportunity to revise a cultural icon through their own persona poem in order toaccurately reflect their own individualized experiences.