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Poetry & Performance w/ Porsha Olayiwola, Poet Laureate of Boston

Wed, October 6th, 2021
6:30 pm
- 8:00 pm

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Poet, performer, and Afrofuturist Porsha Olayiwola gives a virtual poetry reading in this event organized by the Levitt Artist-in-Residence. The current Poet Laureate for the city of Boston, Olayiwola’s award-winning performances and theater productions have been widely acclaimed. In a feature on the writer’s choreopoem, Black and Ugly as Ever, Essence Magazine said Olayiwola was “reimagining what poetry can be.” Of her debut poetry collection, WBUR wrote, “she encapsulates a sweeping range of emotions with visceral precision and playful metaphors that speaks to years of ruminating on the right words.”

Olayiwola’s performance will take place over Zoom and preceded by a student open mic. Q&A to follow. Students interested in reading in the open mic can sign up at the beginning of the event or by emailing fc3@williams.edu. Priority will be given to students who attend the 2pm workshop with the visiting artist. Register for the Zoom here.

This event is organized by Prof. Franny Choi, Arthur Levitt, Jr. ’52 Artist-in-Residence, and sponsored by English, with co-sponsors from AFR and WGSS.

About Porsha Olayiwola:

Black, futurist, poet, dyke, hip-hop feminist, womanist: Porsha is a native of Chicago who now resides in Boston. Olayiwola is a writer, performer, educator and curator who uses afro-futurism and surrealism to examine historical and current issues in the Black, woman, and queer diasporas. She is an Individual World Poetry Slam Champion and the former artistic director at MassLEAP, a literary youth organization. Olayiwola is an MFA Candidate at Emerson College. Porsha Olayiwola is the author of i shimmer sometimes, too (Button Poetry, 2020) and is the current poet laureate for the city of Boston.

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