Shoutout to Larry Robin and the Moonstone Arts family for a deeply moving evening of poetry. It truly felt like a family reunion. The upstairs of the famed Irish pub Fergie’s was packed with young and old, representing every corner of our city, just as it should be.
In that space, we also acknowledged the crisis our country is in and the vital role poets play in bearing witness, speaking truth, and imagining change .
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| Octavia McBride-Ahebee reading her work as master kora musician, Youba Cissokho, weaves sound beneath the words. |
Heartfelt thanks to master kora musician Youba Cissokho for accompanying my reading. I was honored to read alongside the other featured poets and inspired by the open mic, especially the phenomenal Adriann Just-the-Pen Bautista, Aaren Perry , Elijah B. Pringle III and Ray Garman. And thank you to the evening’s host Liz Allen.
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| 72nd-Generation Kora Musician Youba Cissokho |
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| Poet Adriann Just-the-Pen Bautista |
I had the loveliest table mate for the evening, poet Anne-Adele Wight ! I am so looking forward to reading the collection she’s working on. Such a gentle and generous spirit.
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My work is a kind of ode to migration not as a crisis, but an essential, enduring expression of human hope. |
I am always uplifted by my dear friends Phyllis, Tony, Mona, my daughter Sojourner, and Sami, whose love and support over the years continue to carry me. Thank you. Thank you !
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