On July 17, North Carolina Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green will lead a poetry workshop and read her works at Robeson Community College. Both are free and open to the public.
Jaki Shelton Green is the first African American and third woman to be appointed as the North Carolina Poet Laureate. When he appointed her in 2018, Governor Cooper stated that “Jaki Shelton Green brings a deep appreciation of our state’s diverse communities to her role as an ambassador of North Carolina literature. Jaki’s appointment is a wonderful new chapter in North Carolina’s rich literary history.” In 2019, Green was named an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow.
The workshop, Building Community through Art and Writing, will focus on the stories we need to tell whether they are ones someone told us or the tales we may remember. The program description states that “these stories suggest ways in which communities have survived through art, music, stories, and crafts. The workshop will explore and celebrate the shapes, colors, and musicality of stories—often unspoken—that serve as symbols and myths for communities.”
The workshop will be held from 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. Building 14. Registration is required as space is limited to 25 participants. Individuals may register by clicking here or by contacting C. Edmonds at [email protected] or 910-272-3362. The workshop is being sponsored by the Robeson County Public Library, North Carolina Humanities Council, Robeson County Arts Council, Book ‘Em and Robeson Community College
Later that day at 1 p.m., Green will read her work and speak about poetry. The session is sponsored by the Robeson County Arts Council and Book ‘Em. The open session will be held in the Workforce Development Building, BB&T Room. RSVP on Facebook here: facebook.com/events/2323246621246770/.
This project is made possible in part by funding from the North Carolina Humanities Council, a statewide nonprofit and affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.