Poet in residence at Zero George

August 4, 2018

I was the poet in residence at the lovely Zero George, a stunning hotel and restaurant in downtown Charleston. I connected with the Zero George staff over an encouraging and honest conversation about making sure that spaces like this feel … open. And welcoming. Earlier this year, I did a poetry reading and workshop at […]

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let’s talk about the weather

light follows us wherever we go, no matter how shadowed the mind. but darkness has a sneaky way of taking us over at night and sometimes its sleepy residue remains in the day in spite of the sun’s warm personality and efficient, persistent glow. we sleep through hot nightmares when the only cool air is […]

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Commencement speech for the Arts Institute of Charleston

June 15, 2018

The fine folks at the Arts Institute of Charleston asked me to be the commencement speaker for the 2018 graduating class. I’ve never done that before, so it was an honor to grace the stage and meet the scholars. I'm about to do the commencement speech for the graduates of @AiCharleston at @CHSMusicHall. Number of […]

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Walter Edgar’s Journal, SC Public Radio

May 12, 2018

Walter Edgar’s Journal. Now there’s a name that is familiar with a lot people in South Carolina. I’ve listened to his shows for a long time and never really considered the fact that I would have a chance to be on it! Well. Here I am: http://southcarolinapublicradio.org/post/peace-voices After this appearance, I received A LOT of […]

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Movement’s mother

(inspired by Septima Clark, on what would have been her 120th birthday. Written for the dedication of her historical marker) I. There are spirits among us – ghosts of grassroots movements echoing through our soil. Charleston’s poinsettia was a warrior woman who blossomed despite an unholy city’s unsettled winds. She was light through dark matter, […]

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Cheryl Boyce-Taylor, mother of Phife (ATCQ)

April 27, 2018

Friends, this is Cheryl Boyce-Taylor. She’s the mother of Phife (Malik Taylor), from A Tribe Called Quest. A. TRIBE. CALLED. QUEST. One of the first things I *ever* wrote was a rap based on one of Phife’s verses, in 1991. It’s because of Tribe that I sharpened my writing skills. It’s because of Tribe that […]

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The genius of Ani DiFranco

April 4, 2018

In honor of National Poetry Month, the most impactful poet I’ve ever read is Ani DiFranco. Her wordplay, politics, art direction and DIY ethic have been HIGHLY influential on my work. Some examples of the lyrical genius::: “More and more there is this animal looking out through my eyes at all the wires in the […]

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empath (bones)

(a poem about lynchings) If the Angel Oak tree could talk, she’d tell us stories we don’t want to hear. Her family has been roped into being the backdrop of racism’s roots, her friends had no choice but to stand, stoic through storms that bore strange fruit. She’d tell you about the relentless weight of […]