Join us for the launch of poet Courtney Faye Taylor's debut poetry collection, Concentrate, on December 7 at 144 Montague St and via Zoom! In her virtuosic debut, Taylor explores the under-told history of the murder of Latasha Harlins—a fifteen-year-old Black girl killed by a Korean shop owner, Soon Ja Du, after being falsely accused of shoplifting a bottle of orange juice. Harlins's murder and the following trial, which resulted in no prison time for Du, were inciting incidents of the 1992 Los Angeles uprising and came to exemplify the long-fraught relationship between Black and Asian American communities in the United States. Through a collage-like approach to collective history and storytelling, Taylor's poems present a profound look into the insidious points at which violence originates against—and between—women of color.
Korean American poet and Brooklyn Poets teacher Eugenia Leigh will join Taylor to read from her own work and engage in a conversation about these issues. Doors will open for a wine reception at 6 PM and readings will begin at 6:30 PM. Book signing to follow.
Note that by attending this event, you agree to abide by our code of conduct and COVID-19 policy below. All in-person attendees are currently required to wear masks. Brooklyn Poets reserves the right to dismiss from our programs any participant found to be in violation of these policies. Thank you for respecting our community.
About the Authors
Courtney Faye Taylor is a writer and visual artist. She is the author of Concentrate (Graywolf Press, 2022), selected by Rachel Eliza Griffiths as the winner of the Cave Canem Poetry Prize. Courtney earned her BA from Agnes Scott College and her MFA from the University of Michigan Helen Zell Writers’ Program, where she received the Hopwood Prize in Poetry. A recipient of the 92Y Discovery Prize and an Academy of American Poets Prize, Courtney has published her work in Poetry, the Nation, Ploughshares, Best New Poets and elsewhere.
Eugenia Leigh is a Korean American poet and the author of Bianca (Four Way Books, forthcoming March 2023) and Blood, Sparrows and Sparrows (Four Way Books, 2014). Her poems and essays have appeared in numerous publications including the Nation, Ploughshares, Waxwing and the 2017 Best of the Net anthology. The recipient of Poetry's 2021 Bess Hokin Prize as well as fellowships and awards from Poets & Writers Magazine, Kundiman and others, Eugenia received her MFA from Sarah Lawrence College and serves as a poetry editor at the Adroit Journal.