Poetry Month in Fairfax County
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Poetry Month in Fairfax County

ArtsFairfax and more than 20 representatives associated with Fairfax arts and culture celebrate National Poetry Month this April when they share the work of contemporary American poets. Beginning with Bryan Hill, Fairfax County Executive, who reads “Crossing” by Jericho Brown, the ArtsFairfax initiative is part of Poetry Lives Here, a community service project by inaugural Fairfax Poet Laureate, Nicole Tong.

 

“My goal with Poetry Lives Here was to get people from all walks of life listening to each other while participating in literary arts in a personal way,” says Ms. Tong, who created the Twitter account @PoetryLivesHere to further engagement and amplify the voices and cultures of a diverse representation of living poets.

 

“Nicole’s Poetry Lives Here initiative, as well as her overall commitment to the Poet Laureate Program, aligns so perfectly with ArtsFairfax goals to inspire community-wide exchange of ideas, stories, and culture throughout the County,” adds Linda Sullivan, President & CEO of ArtsFairfax. “Through our Poet Laureate Program, we want to show Fairfax County residents that poetry is just as diverse and vibrant as the communities they represent.”

 

The Fairfax County Poet Laureate Program is designed to raise the visibility of poetry by supporting a leadership role for a local poet to engage new audiences and create opportunities for poetry to be shared throughout the County. The Poet Laureate Program is a two-year appointment that results in a community service project and an original poem inspired by the poet’s experience, among other outcomes. Applications for the next Fairfax County Poet Laureate will open this June.

 

About Poetry Lives Here

As the inaugural Fairfax County Poet Laureate, Nicole Tong created Poetry Lives Here as a two-pronged approach to enliven local interest in contemporary poetry. In addition to the digital content created in celebration of National Poetry Month, Ms. Tong also partnered with George Mason University MFA poetry students to conduct a residency at the County’s Juvenile Detention Center. Together, these initiatives have raised Fairfax community awareness of living American poets and how they reflect the diversity of voices and cultures in this nation.

 

About ArtsFairfax 

ArtsFairfax is the nonprofit designated as the local arts agency for Fairfax County. Dedicated to the belief that arts are essential to a thriving community, the ArtsFairfax mission is to expand support for and access to arts and culture opportunities for Fairfax County’s more than 1.2 million residents. By offering informational, financial, and programmatic services, ArtsFairfax promotes the role of arts and culture to deepen social engagement, create a sense of place, and fuel economic growth. Incorporated as a 501(c)(3) since 1964, ArtsFairfax provides these services to all who contribute to and experience arts in Fairfax County, and is funded in part by the County, Virginia Commission for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as corporations, foundations, and individuals.

 

 

 

Celebrate National Poetry Month with Ms. Tong on Twitter @PoetryLivesHere or visit ArtsFairfax.org/Poetry. Engage with ArtsFairfax on Facebook and Instagram with #NPMArtsFairfax to share your favorite poet, poem, or reader.


Reader Schedule:

April 1

Bryan Hill,

Fairfax County Executive

“Crossing”

by Jericho Brown

Week of April 4

Luisa A. Igloria,

Poet Laureate of Virginia

“Creed for the Drowned”

by Luisa A. Igloria

Rick Davis, Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, George Mason University

“Emily Dickinson at the Poetry Slam”

by Dan Vera

Roseanne A. Brown,

New York Times Best-Selling Author

“There are No Unsacred Spaces”

by Cynthia Manick

Sarah Scalet,

National PTA Arts in Education Fellow

“The Best of It”

by Kay Ryan

K. Lee,

Dentist

“The Edges of Time”

by Kay Ryan

Week of April 11

Allen Lynch,

National Museum of the United States Army

“A Hero’s Welcome”

by Robert Longley

Jessica Finley,

Educator

“Night Bloom”

by Crystal Williams

Andrew Savoia,

Cellist

“Round 3”

by Eloisa Amezcua

Jamika L. Helem, Counselor,

Fairfax County Juvenile Detention Center

“We Host These Variables”

by Jasmine Mans

Jessica Wallach,

Photographer and Educator

“This is About a Body”

by Laureen Summers

Week of April 18

KaNikki Jakarta,

City of Alexandria Poet Laureate

“Poised and Posed”

by KaNikki Jakarta

Rita Feinstein,

Writopia Lab D.C. Regional Manager

“The Lushness of It”

by Mary Szybist

Sushmita Mazumdar, Artist, Educator, and Commissioner, Virginia Commission for the Arts

“Mountain Dew Commercial Disguised as a Love Poem” by Matthew Olzmann

Danielle Badra, Poet and Fairfax County Government Management Analyst and Technical Writer

“The Phillips Collection”

by Danielle Badra

Manuela Quintero Fehr, ArtsFairfax

Digital Media and Outreach Manager

“Mambo”

by Jaime Manrique

Week of April 25

Jessica Rapisarda, Woodlawn-Pope Leighey Fellow, NOVACC Professor, Poet

“Maker”

by Jessica Rapisarda

Trini Rogando, 2022 ArtsFairfax Scholarship Winner, Scholastic Writing Gold Key Awardee

“First-Gen Poet as Percussion Rehearsal” by Trini Rogando

Linda Sullivan,

ArtsFairfax President & CEO

“Two Hands”

by Kim Roberts

Shelly Hazel,

ArtsFairfax Board Chair

“Toothbrush to the Bicycle Tire”

by Sarah Kay

Nicole Tong,

Fairfax Poet Laureate

“Theory for the Living”

by Nicole Tong

 

About Poetry Lives Here

As the inaugural Fairfax County Poet Laureate, Nicole Tong created Poetry Lives Here as a two-pronged approach to enliven local interest in contemporary poetry. In addition to the digital content created in celebration of National Poetry Month, Ms. Tong also partnered with George Mason University MFA poetry students to conduct a residency at the County’s Juvenile Detention Center. Together, these initiatives have raised Fairfax community awareness of living American poets and how they reflect the diversity of voices and cultures in this nation.

 

About ArtsFairfax 

ArtsFairfax is the nonprofit designated as the local arts agency for Fairfax County. Dedicated to the belief that arts are essential to a thriving community, the ArtsFairfax mission is to expand support for and access to arts and culture opportunities for Fairfax County’s more than 1.2 million residents. By offering informational, financial, and programmatic services, ArtsFairfax promotes the role of arts and culture to deepen social engagement, create a sense of place, and fuel economic growth.