Sharing Virtual Poetry News
Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful. – Rita Dove, 1974 Fulbright U.S. Student to Germany, former U.S. Poet Laureate, and Pulitzer Prize winner
In recognition of World Poetry Day (March 21), join the Fulbright Program in celebrating the power of words. Led by Fulbright-National Geographic Storyteller alumna and spoken word artist Alyea Pierce, we invite you to be a part of a virtual evening of poetry featuring readings of original works by accomplished poets and Fulbright alumni, including a special reading performed by Rita Dove.
Whether you are a seasoned poet or a novice, we encourage you to submit your poetry for a chance to be featured during the event.
More about the Poets
Alyea Pierce
Educator and Performance Poet
Alyea Pierce, Ed.M. is a 2019 Fulbright-National Geographic Fellow & Explorer to Trinidad & Tobago, educator, and international performance poet. Pierce has performed her spoken word poetry internationally from the U.K. to South Africa and at numerous TEDx events. Her work has been published online and in print, including the "Guardian," "New York Daily News," "Caribbean Writer," and "Autism Speaks." Pierce has served as an Adjunct Professor in the Rutgers University Future Scholars Program and Assistant Director of Leadership and Experiential Learning at Rutgers University. As an educator, her mission is to help transform creative ideas into professional voices, empowering diverse learners to value themselves as global citizens and leaders within their own communities.
Elisa M. Gonzalez
Poet, Essayist, Fiction Writer
Elisa M. Gonzalez is a poet, essayist, fiction writer, and 2016 Fulbright U.S. Student to Poland. Her work appears in "The New Yorker," "Adi Magazine," "Mississippi Review," "The Literary Review," "The Boiler Journal," and elsewhere. She is a graduate of Yale University and the New York University M.F.A. program. In addition to her Fulbright grant, she has received fellowships from the Norman Mailer Center, Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, and Rolex Foundation. She is the recipient of a 2020 Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer’s Award, and lives in New York City.
Ruth Behar
Anthropologist, Professor, Author, Poet
Ruth Behar is an anthropologist, professor, poet, writer, a 1980 Fulbright U.S. Student to Spain, and a 2006 Fulbright U.S. Scholar to Argentina. The Pura Belpré Award-winning author of "Lucky Broken Girl" was born in Havana, Cuba, grew up in New York, and has also lived in Spain and Mexico. Her multi-genre work includes the acclaimed travel books "An Island Called Home" and "Traveling Heavy," which explore her return journeys to Cuba and her search for home, and the bilingual poetry volume "Everything I Kept/Todo lo que guardé." Her new novel, "Letters from Cuba," for readers of all ages, is soon to appear in Spanish as "Cartas de Cuba." She was the first Latina to win a MacArthur “Genius” Grant, and other honors include a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, and being named a “Great Immigrant” by the Carnegie Corporation. She is the Victor Haim Perera Collegiate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan and lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
William Langford
Poet, Educator, Performance Artist
Will Langford, a Detroit native, is a poet, teaching artist, and 2014 Fulbright U.S. English Teaching Assistant to Kenya. He divides his energy between education and community development projects in Michigan, the U.S., and East Africa—alongside the Children & Youth Empowerment Center in Nyeri, Kenya. He is pursuing his Ph.D. at Michigan State University, where he was recently awarded a Commendation for Excellence in Community Engagement for his work on the Metro Detroit Youth Art’s Competition. As a performance artist, Langford’s poetry has garnered “Best of Show” in the American Advertising Awards, a Michigan Emmy Award, and the 2021 Mark Ritzenhein Emerging Poet Award. He is the 2017 Motown Mic Spoken Word Artist of the Year. Langford’s art has appeared in "The Detroit Neighborhood Guidebook," "Ilanot Review," "Work/6," "Falling Hard," "2 Bridges Review," and is forthcoming in Finishing Line Press.
See this original information also here. Register for this free poetry reading here.
