To watch the poem mentioned in this excerpt, click here. “To be woman and black is to be born knowing your beauty does not belong to you… Is to know you’re not desirable to your own kind,” Crystal Valentine thunders on the stage of the 2015 College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational. The force of the … Continue reading Poetry Is Her Power: Meet Crystal Valentine, NYC’s Youth Poet Laureate (via Daily Beast)
Reginald Dwayne Betts Jr. goes by the name Dwayne. But for the majority of the nine years he spent in prison, he gave himself the name Shahid. It means "the witness" in Arabic. At 16, Betts pled guilty to carjacking in Virginia and was in prison until he was 24. For many years, cultivating his … Continue reading Yes, One Book Can Change Your Life, Even In Prison (via Huffington Post)
Saint Paul, Minnesota. Residents of St. Paul have a chance to see their original poetry immortalized on a city sidewalk. Mayor Chris Coleman has announced the kickoff of this year's St. Paul Sidewalk Poetry Contest. Starting Monday, St. Paul residents can submit short, original poems for a chance to win $100 and see their poem … Continue reading St. Paul sidewalk poetry contest kicks off (via KARE11)
Full Title: "Actual Asian poets use #WhitePenName to respond to poetry controversy (via L.A. Times)" What’s more likely to get your poem published: a “white” name or a Chinese one? The Asian American Writers’ Workshop has responded to the controversy around “Chinese” poet “Yi-Fen Chou” (actually Michael Derrick Hudson, who is white) with satire. The organization started … Continue reading Asian poets use #WhitePenName to respond to poetry controversy (via L.A. Times)
The Pittsburgh version of the City of Asylum, which assists writers in danger of persecution in their home countries, held its annual Jazz Poetry concert on Saturday in West Park on the North Side. It had a lot to compete with, with the Pirates playing and another party down the block, and, most notably, the … Continue reading Review: Jazz Poetry concert a vibrant tribute to the world’s persecuted writers (via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Check out the article on Blavity for each poet's description. Established in 1989, the Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowship has monetarily awarded accomplished US poets between the ages of 21 and 31 to encourage their continued study of writing and poetry. At its inception, two fellowships in the amount of $15,000 were awarded. Following a 2013 gift … Continue reading 3 Black Ruth Lilly fellows you’ll want to know (via Blavity)
Of the many heralded poets and writers of the fabled Harlem Renaissance, Anne Spencer is among the least known. Her absence from the usual roster of renown may stem from her paucity of poems or her distance from the center of the movement, but not for a lack of elegance and classical style. That elegance, … Continue reading Anne Spencer, often forgotten poet of the Harlem Renaissance (via NY Amsterdam News)
Full Title: "White Poet used Chinese pen name to gain entry into Best American Poetry (via The Guardian)" Controversy has enveloped the prestigious Best American Poetry anthology after it emerged that a white poet had been included in the selection after adopting a Chinese pen name – and that Yi-Fen Chou’s poem was kept in the much … Continue reading Poet used Chinese pen name to gain entry into Best American Poetry (via The Guardian)
Full Title: "Welcome Black Poetry Explosion brings ASU African Americans together through expression (via The State Press)" The Arizona Ballroom in the Memorial Union transformed into an inviting atmosphere filled with passion and pain Wednesday night, as the African American Men at ASU celebrated 11 years of its Welcome Black Poetry Explosion event, which united the … Continue reading ASU: Welcome Black Poetry Explosion (via The State Press)
Jeremy Corbyn is a keen writer of poetry and abstract painter, the Labour leadership frontrunner has revealed. Speaking at the launch event for his arts policy in Dalston, north east London, he spoke of his enjoyment of creative activities. “I do write quite a bit of poetry myself,” he said, adding that he had found … Continue reading Jeremy Corbyn writes poetry on the train to work, he reveals (via The Independent)
