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Prince George’s County Poet Laureate Sistah Joy.
Year-Long Series Travels Through Prince George’s As National Poetry Month Draws Near
Professor and Author Hoke Glover, also known as “Brother Yao”
The Prince George’s County Office of the Poet Laureate presented the second of its monthly year-long literary and arts-based "Poet Laureate Reading Series" (PLRS) Feb. 23 at the Prince George's African American Museum and Cultural Center (PGAAMCC) located in North Brentwood, Maryland. The series of free poetry-based events will be traveling throughout Prince George's County. This month's event, "Black Migration: Telling Our Story Through Poetry" featured one of Prince George's County's great literary and entrepreneurial luminaries, Hoke Glover, the widely recognized and respected poet, author and professor of Creative Writing at Bowie State University. Glover, known by many throughout the Prince George's community as "Brother Yao," formerly of Karibu Books, presented poems from and signed copies of his long awaited and much anticipated first collection of poetry, "Inheritance."
The multi-genre PLRS event, which was a Black History celebration, also featured poetry by Youth Poetry Ambassador, Zainab Ahmed; vocal selections by Alto, Christine Jenkins; and performances by Djembe drummer, Doc Powell, who performed (vocals and drumming) in accompaniment to Poet Laureate Sistah Joy, and who also offered solo performances during celebration. Presenting poems and songs reflective of the Great Migration era, Sistah Joy and the featured artists were joined by area poets who shared moving presentations befitting the occasion. District 2 County Council Member, Deni Taveras, and PGAAMCC Executive Director Monica Montgomery, greeted an enthusiastic crowd in the center's warm and engaging art spaces which were brimming with an exquisite variety of art objects by Washington, DC artist, Quest Skinner. Guests mingled with the featured artists during a meet-the-artists reception and book-signing at the close of the afternoon affair. Persons interested in attending future PLRS events may contact the Office of the Poet Laureate at Sistahjoy@pgahc.org.
Mark Your Calendars: Prince George's Community College will host a poetry reading featuring Maryland Poet Laureate, Grace Cavalieri in observance of National Poetry Month (April). Free to the public, the event will be held April 8 // 3-4 p.m. // Accokeek Hall, Room 221.
