Dr Selina Tusitala Marsh

31/03/2022

Dr. Marsh continues to experience on-going challenges based on criticism from her own Pasifika people, as well as, experiencing stereotypical judgement from her Pakeha counterparts. No doubt, Dr Marsh’s success has influenced Pasifika Literature and has created for a national recognition of Māori and Pasifika Literature. However, many critics from the Pasifika community are questioning whether she has forgot her Samoan roots by not being able to speak fluently in Samoan. Dr Marsh evaluates her success as being questionable alongside acknowledging that she feels like she has developed some sense of an ‘imposter syndrome’. Moreover, Dr. Marsh argues that a successful Pasifika woman will always be associated with typical stereotypes, such as Dr Marsh being referred to as a “Cleaner”.

Question: Do you feel that stereotypes will always be associated with successful Pasifika prominent leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand?

Have you ever been a victim of stereotypical judgement within a Eurocentric dominated space?

Feel free to comment about your experiences within the comment section below!

Article:

Returning to her hotel after her final event as poet laureate a suited man asked her if she was the cleaner.

31/03/2022

Identity is one of the key concepts in Selina’s poems where she brings the world through language into an alignment with the new self. “Tusitala” Dr Marsh’s maternal name occupies a central position in the poet’s identity and discourse. It reflects its core position in her family name. It means “teller of tales” in Samoan that reconnects the poet with Samoa that she calls her “sacred self” in “Naming myself”. For Selina, the opportunity to write your own story brings hope. And that your story whether it's colonised story is still a Sāmoan one. Still valid.

Like Selina, a name cannot be reduced to one signification. So what is your traditional name & what is the story behind it? Be the tusitala of your own stories and let us know in the comments.

31/03/2022

Dr Selina Tusitala Marsh was born in 1971 in Auckland, New Zealand. She was the first Pacific Islander to gain a PhD in English at the University of Auckland (Waipapa Taumata Rau). Marsh has been a huge representation of the Pasifika community since gaining her PhD. She has represented Pasifika families through her work at the Poetry Olympics 2012 when being made the official Poet of the commonwealth and performed in front of Queen Elizabeth II in 2016 and so on. Along with all her success, she has continued to work towards a better future for the next generation of Māori and Pasifika communities in regards to learning the history and stories of their ancestors. Marsh believes in unity and through her poems which capture the essence of passion, tribal history, allegiance etc. read aloud the desire for unity can be identified from afar.

See below the poem Marsh created to speak upon her beliefs of unity. https://poetryarchive.org/poem/unity/

See below to learn more about Marsh's poems
https://poetryarchive.org/poet/selina-tusitala-marsh/

  Playful, impassioned, deftly musical and energised, Selina Tusitala Marsh’s poems leap off the page and bet to be read aloud. Hers is a poetry often balanced between two seemingly distinct worlds: a modern New Zealand that is urbane, cultured...

31/03/2022

Who is Dr Selina Tusitala Marsh?
She was named after her grandfather, a man who in turn was named after a great Scottish writer, novelist, Sir Robert Louis Stevenson the author of many great tales such as Treasure Island. Tusitala was the name bestowed on Robert as a gift from the chiefs of Samoa for his work supporting a Samoan independent move away from the New Zealand colonial administration. Tusitala means 'Tale teller', 'Story teller', and/or 'story writer'. Dr Marsh believes she was given this name for the purpose of telling stories, history, the history Māori and Pasifika families were not told growing up. Growing up she says she has always been a 'Tale teller' telling on her siblings, friends, cousins etc. She now stands proud and tall as she continues to tell the stories of those whose voices were not heard, of those whose histories were not told. She quotes "If you don't tell your story, someone else will'.

A review of New Zealand's History, identity and diversity.Of Samoan, Tuvaluan, English and French descent, Selina's critical and creative work focuses on giv...

30/03/2022

In 2017, Dr Selina performed for graffiti artists (see Avondale community centre) where she also went out to meet the talented people who were painting her poems at the Avondale art park that is a celebration of graffiti writing, talks, live painting etc.

Question: Do you feel that successful Pasifika notable figures should always remain connected to their suburb of up-bringing?

And why is it crucial for our Pasifika and Maori youth to connect to academic scholars such as Dr. Marsh?

Feel free to comment below in the comment section.

Read more: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/standing-room-only/audio/2018623977/forum-a-celebration-of-graffiti-in-avondale

30/03/2022

As a performer, Dr Marsh has performed poetry for famous people such as president Obama and Queen Elizabeth II. She composed and performed the poem ‘Unity’ for Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey in 2016. Below is a photo of Queen Elizabeth II and Dr Selina Tusitala Marsh herself.

If you were given the chance to write a poem for the Queen, what would it be called and what would it be about?

30/03/2022

Dr Selina Tusitala Marsh has visited many schools online and in person displaying her tokotoko (A traditional Maori carved ceremonial walking stick that she was given for being a poet laureate), shows her work in progress, talks about her inspirations and bringing her performance poetry to kids of all ages. She encourages kids to use their voices and be the tusitala of their own stories.

Question of thought: Do you think the Education system in Aotearoa New Zealand should implement more Maori and Pasifika styles of teaching in form of educating young Maori and Pasifika?

Let us know! Feel free to comment below!

30/03/2022

Influenced by famous kiwi poet ‘Sam Hunt’, Dr. Selina Tusitala Marsh recognizes her success in poetry, towards past challenges that have shaped her form of poetry. Challenges such as the lack of acknowledgement for many Pasifika female poets and a lack of being exposed to Maori and Pasifika Literature at a young age. A significant challenge experienced, was Dr. Marsh constantly being teased and perceived by the Eurocentric perception of Pasifika immigrants in the 1970s during the Dawn Raid era. The societal view of a poet does fails to give full credit to a poet who is a female and of Pasifika descent.

Question of thought: Do you think the Dawn Raid era has somewhat contributed to the success that many Pasifika uphold as of today?

Let us know your thoughts! Comment below!

Must watch:

Dr Selina Tusitala Marsh is a poet and scholar who is used to being “the first”. She was the first Pasifika to graduate with a PhD in English from the Univer...

30/03/2022

“I loved the fierceness and strength that Marsh invokes through her writing in Tightrope. Her recognition of identity and the multiple lines that create it is especially crucial in an ever-changing world. Marsh’s own pride is a stunning facet of her identity, and it shows through in her poetry.” Emma Shi, Booksellers NZ

Tightrope is Selina bringing life to it as an ongoing dialogue that deals with life, death and memory as a way to find out whether stories really can cure the incurable. Selina Tusitala Marsh’s Tightrope takes us from the bustle of the world’s largest Polynesian city, Auckland, through Avondale and Apia, and on to London and New York on an extraordinary poetic voyage.

30/03/2022

Mophead Tu: The Queen’s poem is Selina’s book which takes the reader on colonial histories and one poet’s journey on bridging the divide from her sinking islands in the south seas to the streets of London. A book that teaches people of all ages about your own intelligence, the power one has and how people should trust the instincts they were born with.

In this memoir we follow Selina as the new Commonwealth Poet as she attempts to write a poem for the Queen and struggles to not only write a poem which represents her and her people but also doesn’t ignore their troubled past with colonisation. This is the follow up graphic novel to Mophead. With the beautiful illustrations that add to the story, this memoir describes colonisation and the far from perfect history between the Islands in the Southern Pacific and England in such simple terms that could be understood by everyone. An engaging book of determination and poetry. A book compulsory for every school library in New Zealand. Representing her country, her culture and herself in the most amazing way.

30/03/2022

Fast Talking PI is the first collection of poetry published by Selina Tusitala Marsh. It brings focus not only on the issues affecting pacific communities in New Zealand but also of indigenous peoples from around the world. It also talks about identity, claiming your identity & destiny and breaking out of stereotypes.

‘Tusitala’ means writer of tales in Samoan, and Dr Selina lives up to her name with stories of her life, her family, community, ancestry, and history. Her poetry is strong, clear rhythms and repetitions to power it forward. The list poem is a favourite style used but she also adds emphasis when she writes with Pacific lyricism that is entirely her own.

30/03/2022

As an author, Dr Marsh has published three critical collections of poetry, Fast talking PI (2009), Dark Sparring (2013), Tightrope (2017). She has published award winning graphic memoirs Mophead (2019) Mophead Tu: Queens poem (2020) and is working on Mophead 3: KNOT.

If you are interested in buying one of her books you can check out https://aucklanduniversitypress.co.nz/authors-and-editors/selina-tusitala-marsh/