They come from entirely different backgrounds, but they have one thing in common: they are all women.

“As writers, we come from three different geographical backgrounds and were born in three different decades. Still, our writing speaks to one another as women,” said Erika Mueller, graduate student and women’s literary activist.

Three contemporary poets and ISU graduate students, Mueller, Joan Stewart and Mary Henson Saunders, will read their poetry and share related experiences at the Contemporary Women’s Poetry event Wednesday at noon in the Gold Room of the Memorial Union. The event is part of the celebration of Women’s History Month.

The purpose of this event is to provide a venue to share a short history about women’s voices in poetry from the 18th century to contemporary times, Mueller said.

“We also want to provide space for our own voices to be heard, to encourage other women to speak their own experience and feel a part of a larger community of women,” she said.

At the event, each woman will read works of well-known contemporary female poets, as well as their own original poetry. Each woman will also present a summary of one aspect of contemporary women’s poetry in the United States and will share information about the background and context of the poems, Mueller said.

“We are going to incorporate reading some of the most incredible and provocative poems written by contemporary women poets. Then we will each read a few poems from our own evolving manuscripts,” Mueller said.

“Being women influences our art in every way. Our poems reach out to encompass both the physical landscape and rich emotional history of our lives,” she added.

Joan Stewart, graduate student and contemporary female poet, concurs that the experiences in each woman’s life greatly influences her poetry.

“My inspiration comes from the world and my experience as a woman in the world,” Stewart said .

She also gains inspiration from other women poets, she added.

Mueller and Stewart emphasized that they are just a small fraction of the women’s voices that can be heard, especially in Women’s History Month.

“It is important to celebrate and honor women who paved the way and encourage us to continue to speak,” Stewart said.

Students and others attending the event will hear great poems written by contemporary women poets, gain insight into women’s strong and exciting history as poets. In addition, Mueller said, attendees will gain exposure to three women poets who are currently writing.

“By sharing the history of their [women poets’] success and by reading some of our own poetry, we offer one aspect of women’s history that must also be told so every generation will know the stories,” Mueller said.