Poetry in Motion: One Island Teen is Turning Writing into Works of Art

There are many talented writers on this Island and many amazing teenagers, as well. In Jess Dupon, both of these things have merged together seamlessly.

Other than being the granddaughter of the notorious of Le Grenier, the 17-year-old Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School (MVPCS) senior has garnered a fair amount of accolades and awards of her own. Both this year and last she was named as one of the Island’s Promising Young Poets. She received an honorable mention from the Scholastic Alliance for Young Artists and Writers last year, and this year earned two Gold Keys.

This fall she will head off to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst on an Abigail Adams Scholarship. But before she goes, she is making a final statement with “,” a show that sets a collection of her award-winning poems to art through her own mixed-media interpretations.

"Puzzle Pieces" is the first of 15 upcoming shows that will feature in the Pebble Gallery. It opens on Thursday, April 7 and runs through April 10.

We caught up with Jess in between class, putting the final touches on her show and watching a Bruins game to get a little more inside information on what makes this talented teen so fantastic.

Where do you write?

In my bed.

What do you write with?

I type, because it’s faster.

Are you tired of people asking you if your grandpa is okay?

Yes, because the people who generally ask me are people I don’t know, and they usually know more about it than I do because they’ve been stalking the news articles.

When did you start writing?

In third grade I wrote a poem and it involved a line comparing rain to God’s tears. I read it at a Charter School reading and I got my picture in the paper.

Do you ever get writer's block?

Yes. But I don’t work through it. I cheat and I just don’t write.

How has the Charter School fostered you as a writer?

I’ve gotten so much support for my writing and what I write about that it has inspired me to share it and submit it to contests. They’ve definitely helped me come out of my turtle shell.

How many brothers and sisters do you have?

One sister, one brother.

How many jobs do you have in the summer?

Two, sometimes three if you count babysitting.

Who are your favorite poets?

Pablo Neruda and Shel Silverstein.

What’s the loveliest spot on the Vineyard?

Driving down North Road in the fall when the leaves are changing colors.

Where is your favorite place to go off island?

Boston and now, Guatemala.

What gave you the idea to put all of your writing on display as pieces of art?

I wanted to challenge myself, because I identify as a creative person, but I’ve never thought of myself as artistic. So since the poems are really a way of putting my life on display, I added the twist of having to illustrate my own stories.

Which one of the pieces in this show is your favorite?

"Foolishness," because the idea I started out with was so small and it grew as I was working on it and ended as a life-size tracing of myself.

What do you steer clear of in summer?

Mopeds, because I have road rage.

In what ways will the Vineyard stay with you when you go away to college?

You can’t take the Vineyard out of anyone who’s grown up here. I know I will still do all the things that identify me with the Vineyard . . . bringing my own mug everywhere, wearing wool socks, drinking lots of tea and surrounding myself with positive people.