We were lucky to catch up with BrujaTheVillain recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Bruja, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

Being the only one in the room that looks like me has taught me resilience. I’ve had to navigate spaces where I’m both seen and unseen—seen for the stereotypes people place on me and unseen for the brilliance I bring. In a world filled with misogyny and racist stereotypes, I’ve had to be better than the limitations people try to impose on me. I’ve had to be sharper, more skilled, and more disciplined to overcome both the blatant and subtle obstacles. It’s not just about succeeding for myself—my success shatters those expectations and shows others what’s possible. I don’t wait for permission. I make space where there was none, knowing others will benefit from my persistence. I make room for art culture, whether its music, painting or poetry, I trust my talent, my bravery, and my work ethic to push past the ignorance and rise above. At the end of the day, I refuse to be limited by anyone’s small-mindedness and if I have to do it scared, I’ll do it anyway.

Positively Suzanne with Guest BrujaTheVillain

Worcester poet Bruja The Villain, founder of the monthly Poets Cauldron reading and open mic, poses in front of the poetry section at Bedlam Book Cafe in Worcester. Bruja will host the upcoming Worcester preliminary youth poetry slam April 25.

Art often springs from turbulence and change.
As Worcester poet Bruja The Villain saw their street becoming gentrified, they felt driven to create, to make up for the destruction they saw outside the window.
That drive led them to put together the Poet's Cauldron, a monthly poetry open mic at the White Room on Green Street that has drawn dozens of attendees to each iteration so far…

On the third Sunday evening of every month, the White Room on Green Street slowly fills with artists, musicians, food stands, art vendors, and poetry lovers from throughout the Worcester area. By 6 p.m., a microphone has been placed at the center of the room, the house band is tuning up, and the open mic sign-up sheet is full of area poets ready to showcase their work at The Poet’s Cauldron…

I couldn’t say how I first heard about the Poet’s Cauldron. Much like the shifting of seasons, I simply woke up and the Worcester world of poetry had blossomed. The White Room, situated in the Canal District, one of the city’s hippest neighborhoods, began hosting the cathartic event on the 3rd Sunday of the month at the turn of the year.