READ HOW POETRY PAINTS With Freeman Elementary SEMAJ BROWN CREATES VIRTUAL POETRY GALLERY For Schools and Community DEAR POETS 2022 Academy of American Poets RASPBERRIES & WRITING Semaj helps future writers at “New” McCree Theatre
POET LAUREATE
USES POETRY TO ENHANCE LITERACY
POETS LAUREATE FELLOWSHIP AWARD SPECIAL EDITION
TABLE OF CONTENTS MUSINGS FROM THE MIND OF SEMAJ
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WHAT IS THE POETRY POD PROJECT?
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P3 PROJECTS
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VIRTUAL POETRY GALLERY : HARLEM RENAISSANCE
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CIVIL RIGHTS ERA
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TRANSCENDENTALIST POEMS
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POETRY PAINTS
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FLINTSIDE ARTICLE
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FLINT COURIER ARTICLE
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DEAR POET (Academy of American Poets)
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RASPBERRIES & WRITING
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TEA TIME WITH THE POET LAUREATE COLUMN
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WHAT IS THE MEDIA SAYING ABOUT SEMAJ?
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SEMAJ BROWN PERFORMS
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BOOKS AUTHORED BY FLINT’S INAUGURAL POET LAUREATE
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ABOUT SEMAJ BROWN
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IN GRATITUDE
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CONTACT AND CONNECT EMAL: 1PLFLINT@SEMAJBROWN.COM www.semajbrown.com poets.org/poet/semaj-brown Publisher and Editor in Chief - Semaj Brown Graphic Design and Layout by Amanda Thomason Cover Photo Credit: Jake May, Flint Journal POET LAUREATE REPORT | SUMMER 2022 Made Possible by The Academy of American Poets with Funds from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
MUSINGS FROM MIND OF SEMAJ
THE
By Semaj Brown Dear Beautiful People: This year, I learned the universe is a fat poem, colossal verse, a gargantuan word extending into perpetuity. Thank you Academy of American Poets for this amazing award, the Poets Laureate Fellowship! Yesterday, the wide shadow of poetry covered me while I persisted in germinating Poetry Pod Projects (P3) anew. If I appear different, it is because a lilac bush grew inside my heart, and my compass is fogged by the scent of lavender. The cohabitation of petals and hope happened to me during this year of intense service, fear, and triumph. How else could I have survived, if your sweet smiles like blossoming goodness had not visited me, often? Thank you, Beautiful People! I comprehend on multiple levels that it is indeed in poetry where my allegiances magically converge. Science and art, theater, the writing of essays, my crush on the planet Earth, education/literacy, social justice reform, curriculum installation, the synthesis of new
FLINT POET LAUREATE REPORT | SUMMER 2022
philosophies, deconstruction of obsolete paradigms—all the seemingly unrelated disciplines and genres resolve in the domain of poetry. These expressions are but shadows and mirror images of one another, waltzing and break-dancing to Monk and Mozart. Poetry with a capital P is a universe with hands; it is large enough to hold our collective mind, my mind. Every carnal morsel begins with the breath of thought, and ceases with the final whisper of a crumb falling like a poem ending. Poetry insinuates the ultimate exhalation, is the pause between words and worlds. It is the making of infinity longer into the eternal silent poem. Thank you, Flint for allowing me to serve you with honor. This Annual Poet Laureate Report is a small snap shot of some of my work during this past year. I hope you enjoy the read. Inside you will find:
“Everywhere Poets” was a special edition of my column, in The Flint Courier News, “Tea Time with the Poet Laureate where an emerging literary artists was featured. I am particularly excited about the work with The “New” McCree Theatre
“Pathways of Preparation: Entering The Wonderful World of Words,” a story telling career guide for those interested in the writing profession. I meditated, and prayed, reconfigured my award winning pedagogy to adjust to the extreme circumstances of the pandemic. It worked! “Poetry Paints:
Ekphrastic Writing” programming was executed in collaboration with The Mott Warsh Collection, Director and Curator, Stephanie James and Freeman Elementary School, Principal, Anna Johnson. “Poetry Paints” was abundantly successful. Expansion inquiries extend to not only other schools, in Flint, but across the state to Grand Rapids, Michigan!
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WHAT IS THE POETRY POD PROJECT?
The Poetry Pod Project (P3) is Semaj Brown’s poet laureate civic focus. P3 unfolds with ambition. Understanding the structural and systemic, seemingly insurmountable scourge of illiteracy, and yet despite barriers organizing and implementing sustainable poetry programming throughout the City of Flint, is the goal. To ignite, to foment a culture of poetry, and thus literacy is the mission. To impart programming designed to increase reading and writing skills while integrating arts and sciences is the innovation. As her civic initiative, Semaj Brown has developed the interdisciplinary (science and art), integrated online platform, The Poetry Pod Project (P3) which increases poetry appreciation and visibility while utilizing poetry to enhance literacy. P3 is the programming of promise and possibility.
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P3 PROJECTS The Poetry Podship traveled back in time, landed and opened! “Flint Reads Poetry: Virtual Poetry Gallery” boasts three video installations, totaling over 50 poems, autobiographical information, recordings, and discussions recited by Flintstones and friends. Flint’s Inaugural Poet Laureate is the recipient of the prestigious, Poets Laureate Fellowship Award, 2021 from the esteemed Academy of American Poets for her literary work and innovative programming:
Poetry Letters: Poetry as a 2nd Language! The Academy also recognizes Zeta Beta Zeta Flint Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. as the 2021 community partner of the Poetry Letters initiative. Poetry Letters: Poetry as a 2nd Language presents: ▪ Flint Reads Poetry/ Poetry Voices of Flint, The virtual Poetry Gallery ▪ Poetry Paints in Collaboration with Mott Warsh Collection, Stephanie James, Director and Curator Freeman Elementary School, Principal Anna Johnson ▪ Poetry Pen Pals
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HARLEM RENAISSANCE Harlem Renaissance poems were presented by my community partners, Zeta Beta Zeta Chapter of
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and the Zeta Foundation of Flint. We were transported to 1920s and 30s where the verse of Langston Hughes reflected the rhythm of Jazz.
POETRY PODSHIP LANDS IN 1920 | HARLEM RENAISSANCE PRESENTED BY FLINT’S FIRST POET LAUREATE SEMAJ BROWN AND ZETA BETA ZETA FLINT CHAPTER The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual and cultural revival of African American music, dance, art, fashion, literature, theater and politics centered in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, spanning the 1920s and 1930s. At the time, it was known as the “New Negro Movement“, named after The New Negro, a 1925 anthology edited by Alain Locke. The movement also included the new African American cultural expressions across the urban areas in the Northeast and
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Dr. Ladel Lewis recites “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes
HARLEM RENAISSANCE Midwest United States affected by a renewed militancy in the general struggle for civil rights for African Americans that occurred in the wake of civil rights struggles in the then-still-segregated US Armed Forces in WWI and which was further inspired by the NAACP, the Garveyite movement and the Russian Revolution, combined with the Great Migration of African American workers fleeing the racist conditions of the Jim Crow Deep South,[1] Harlem being the final destination of the largest number of those who migrated north. -poetry foundation TAKE THE P3 PODSHIP TO THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE Dr. Ladel Lewis recites “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes
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CIVIL RIGHTS ERA CIVIL RIGHTS ERA/ THE POET LAUREATE POETRY CHALLENGE Poems were delivered by The Pierians, Inc. Flint Chapter, a national fine arts organization . As the Pierian members read, evoked were images of booming afros and clinched fists which represented a call for solidarity, a fight for justice.
POETRY PODSHIP LANDS IN 1965 | CIVIL RIGHTS POETRY ERA
Sylvia Hollifield recites “Primer for Blacks” by Gwendolyn Brooks
PRESENTED BY FLINT’S FIRST POET LAUREATE SEMAJ BROWN AND THE FLINT CHAPTER OF THE PIERIANS, INC. The civil rights movement was a struggle for social justice that took place mainly during the 1950s and 1960s for Black Americans to gain equal rights under Hebert recites the law in the United States. The Civil War had Nelda “The Ballad of Birmingham” by Dudley Randall officially abolished slavery, but it didn’t end discrimination against Black people—they continued to endure the devastating effects of racism, especially in the South. By the mid-20th century, Black Americans had had more than enough of prejudice and violence against them. They, along with many white Americans, mobilized and began an unprecedented fight for equality that spanned two decades. -poetry foundation TAKE THE P3 PODSHIP TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS ERAI
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TRANSCENDENTALISTS Transcendentalists Era poems were offered by a cohort of The Peoples Church of Flint and literary consultant to the Poetry Pod Project, Darolyn Brown. David Thoreau concerns loom large today. Poetry is a historical document. Evident are the parallel threads of social problems, and joys that persist to this day.
POETRY PODSHIP LANDS IN 1820 | NEW ENGLAND TRANSCENDENTALISTS PRESENTED BY FLINT’S FIRST POET LAUREATE SEMAJ BROWN AND PEOPLES CHURCH OF FLINT Transcendentalists saw divine experience inherent in the everyday, rather than believing in a distant heaven. Transcendentalists saw physical and spiritual phenomena as part of dynamic processes rather than discrete entities.
Darolyn Brown | Literary Consultant
Linda Angus | Peoples Church of Flint
Semaj Brown | Flint’s Inaugural Poet Laureate
Transcendentalists were abolitionists, and believed in equal rights for women and were concerned with the environment. TAKE THE P3 PODSHIP TO 1820S NEW ENGLAND
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Tom Travis | Peoples Church of Flint
John Elwee | Peoples Church of Flint
POETRY PAINTS P3 PODSHIP LANDS FREEMAN ELEMENTARY
ON
ENTERING THE WORLD OF “POETRY PAINTS” EKPHRASTIC WRITING “Poetry Paints: Ekphrastic Writing,” Brown’s collaboration with Flint’s Mott-Warsh Collection (Stephanie James, Director, Curator, & Collection Educator) and the students of Freeman Elementary, under the direction of Principal Anna Johnson, with technical support from Librarian Rebecca Robertson made its debut at 1:30 p.m. EST via Zoom, May 18th. Ekphrastic writing is commentary on a work or works of visual art. The fifth and sixth grade students, guided by Brown, created collaborative poems based on pieces in the private collection of fine art created by artists of the African diaspora and those who reflect on such. One poem drew special inspiration from Patron Saint of Middle Passengers by Mark Steven Greenfield. James and the Collection’s Gallery Assistant Janice McCoy were instrumental in this phase of P3, as were community partners Zeta Foundation-Flint, in alliance with chapter Zeta Beta Zeta of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. The Zetas presented the young creatives, now known as The Freeman Poets, with gifts, including writing implements, books from Brown’s Poet Laureate Library, Mott-Warshrelated materials, and a certificate of completion, reflecting their literary achievement. An electronic summary of “Poetry Paints: Ekphrastic Writing,” which will include lessons, worksheets, an image of the artwork created by Greenfield from which the students worked, and the collaborative poems created during this project, is currently being compiled by Brown. She hopes to share it with other educators at the Michigan Council of Teachers of English (MCTE) when she speaks at its 100th Anniversary luncheon as its keynote on October 14, 2022. A new volume of Brown’s poetry is slated for publication by Wayne State University Press in 2023.
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SESSION 2 OF POETRY PAINTS Freeman Poets Respond to artwork by Mark Steven
“PATRON SAINT OF MIDDLE PASSENGERS” Title: Dear “Patron Saint of Middle Passengers”: A Collaborative Poem
She was a pretty melanin girl from a village. Her name is Glory. She moves like a human. She moves like a princess. She smells like a cloud. Her name is Aurora. She smells like a powerful flower. When she speaks, she has kind things to say, she says, “Hi Kiddo.” She smells like royalty, a halo with a golden touch Crown of light and glory
Featured photo: Credits: Mark Steven Greenfield,
“PATRON SAINT OF MIDDLE PASSENGERS,”
God of Glory. 2000,Mixed Media. © Courtesy of Mark Steven Greenfield Mark Steven Greenfield (b. 1951) Mixed media on paper, 91.44 x 60.02 cm (36 x 23.63 in.) Mott-Warsh Collection, Flint, Michigan FLINT POET LAUREATE REPORT | SUMMER 2022
Courtesy of Mark Steven Greenfield
Freeman Elementary's Freeman Poets and Flint Poet Laureate Semaj Brown during the 'Poetry Paints: Ekphrastic Writing' event.
FLINT, Michigan — Freeman Elementary held a virtual poetry performance titled Poetry Paints: Ekphrastic Writing led by a group of 5th and 6th graders called The Freeman Poets on Wednesday, May 18. Poetry Paints at Freeman started as a collaborative conversation with 2nd Ward Councilwoman Ladel Lewis and Semaj Brown, Flint’s inaugural Poet Laureate, pre-pandemic. The Freeman Poets work closely with Brown on collaborative poems that were based on pieces in the private collection of fine art created by artists of the African diaspora from the Mott Warsh Collection located in downtown Flint. Continue Reading Here
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Written by Tanya Terry Two forms of arts were merged-visual arts and literary arts-in order for fifth and sixth grade students from Freeman Elementary to create beautiful collaborative pieces, which they recently shared with the community. “Pairing the study of visual arts with poetry writing through Poetry Paints was an inspirational idea conceived by Flint’s Poet Laureate Semaj Brown,” said Anna Johnson, principal of Freeman. The Poets Laureate Fellows by the Academy of American Poets fellowship, through which Semaj Brown, Flint’s inaugural poet laureate, was named one of 23 poetry fellows, will soon come to an end. The fellowship was made possible with funds from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Continue Reading Here
FLINT POET LAUREATE REPORT | SUMMER 2022
A Freeman Poet recites the students’ poem written in response to the artwork “Patron Saint
of Middle Passengers” on a Zoom presentation held this month. Technical support for the Zoom presentation was provided by Librarian Rebbeca Robertson.
DEAR POET 2022 (Academy of American Poets)
received our Academy Fellowships.
Every National Poetry Month the Academy of American Poets present DEAR POET, a multimedia education project that invites young people in grades five through twelve to write letters in response to poems written and read by award-winning poets, including poets who serve on the Academy of American Poets Board of Chancellors and who have of American Poets Laureate
SEMAJ BROWN READS, “BLACK DANDELION” LINK TO SEMAJ’S PERSONAL YOUTUBE LINK TO “DEAR SEMAJ BROWN 2022” ACADEMY PAGE Students from Across the United States write to Poet Laureate Semaj Brown. You can find Semaj’s response to these letters at Poets.org
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FLINT POET LAUREATE REPORT | SUMMER 2022
BLACK DANDELION BY SEMAJ BROWN Age four— Witnessed my first mow down Twinkling ground stars, cut by a murderous lawn mower Feeling the blade, I fell, curled like a snail in grief 12 full moons folded into Spring — Perennial promises prevailed Bees celebrated return of dandelions in a skirt of twirling, yellow bliss Flowering bouffant mirrored my spiky little afro Jagged edged “lion’s tooth” leaves paid tribute to my snag-a-tooth smile Me and my freedom fighting flowers frolicked to survive the scissoring, up-digging, poisoning Warning Signs hovered like low hanging clouds: No Blooming Allowed; Blossoms Will be Prosecuted These brave plants grew just for me Grew in spite of a society that favored a monochromatic landscape 1965— Mr. Brother Malcolm X was assassinated, big word for a pre-kindergartner. I was convinced he must have been a dandelion, Reverend King too, and the Johnson boy who lived one turn down the street, that way. The Johnson boy was shot by the police for growing in a monochromatic landscape. Training Wheels Off—Bike riding across insecure cement, I peddled the bumpy path waving solidarity to each surviving, sunburst noggin, each fulfilling the promise to ornament lawns and flourish souls with lemon drop hope
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BLACK DANDELION BY SEMAJ BROWN Dandelions bare art of endurance and escape transforming into pearl puffs floating with ephemeral intention carrying the spirit of the weed. 13 Full moons faded into July — “I am a proud weed!” Yes, I declared that shocking proclamation standing in the pulpit on Youth Sunday Vernon Chapel A.M.E. Church I added to my speech on David and Goliath my impromptu improvisation of Dandelion Dogma: “We are Black Dandelions who will NEVER be destroyed. We grow the power of goodness for generations into the future!” I yet remember the hat framed faces of the pious, amused and mortified. Semaj Brown, First Poet Laureate of Flint, Michigan © 2020 From the book, Bleeding Fire! Tap the Eternal Spring of Regenerative Light
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DEAR POET 2022 | STUDENT RESPONSE TO POEM “BLACK DANDELION”
LETTER 1 Dear Ms. Semaj Brown, My name is Beckett, and I am currently a high school freshman from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I am writing to you because I read your poem, “Black Dandelion”, and was really moved. I love the way you used events from throughout your life and weaved them into your beautiful poem. I also love how you use plants and subsequently use Dandelions and weeds as a metaphor. Your poem was just beautiful and so powerful to me. I loved how you used Dandelions in your poem. I thought it was a great way of signifying something that is so beautiful and vibrant, yet is punished for simply existing. The line “Dandelions bare art of endurance and escape transforming into pearl puffs floating with ephemeral intention carrying the spirit of the weed,” resonated with me particularly because I’ve always found it very interesting that a “weed” can grow almost anywhere, even when there’s a huge concrete slab slapped on top of its natural habitat. It’s almost like even though there’s a huge attempt to block or sound out weeds, they always persevere and end up on top in the end. I think this is why I have always kind of admired them in the back of my head. This is much like society, throughout history many groups of people have attempted to silence and suppress them. Your poem, though about the struggles African-Americans face, really reminded me of my maternal great-grandfather's story. He was born in Armenia in the early 1900s, and not even before reaching adolescence, was put through a genocide. His father was taken away by Turkish forces and killed, and he and the rest of his family were forced to flee. The Turkish forces tried to exterminate, in their eyes, the Armenians, who are the dandelions in this story. They were stripped of everything, their nationality, belongings, friends, family, and almost even their lives. He arrived in America dirt poor and had to start anew in the city of Boston. He worked hard enough to give his children and grandchildren a good life and was always a thoughtful and caring person, despite all that he had been put through in his life. It is still such a recent and ongoing set of events, with the United States only recognizing the Armenian Genocide last year. And, Turkey, the perpetrator of this evil still hasn’t even recognized it and there’s a movement saying that Armenians are lying about the genocide. This really angered me because my own country made me feel like a “weed” and a “dandelion” and people don’t even believe it which is infuriating. Some questions that I have for you are how did you come up with the metaphor of the Dandelion? Was it a thought that came to you while writing? Or was it even a feeling in the very back of your head that you’ve had for a while? Also, do you still feel like a dandelion? I have always liked poetry. I know that’s not a particularly popular statement from someone of my age, but it is true. I love the simplicity yet depth in thought and meaning that poetry can take on. Your poem made me see poetry in a new light. Your poem was a brilliant combination of metaphors, events, story, and meaning. This is what made your poem so powerful to me. Sincerely, Beckett FLINT POET LAUREATE REPORT | SUMMER 2022
DEAR POET 2022 | STUDENT RESPONSE TO POEM “BLACK DANDELION”
LETTER 2 Dear Semaj Brown, My name is Adithi, and I am currently a ninth grader in Troy, Michigan. I aspire to make contributions in the world of science, but another one of my developing interests lies within the great works of literature. I admire poetry specifically because it is unique to the poet, but it can also bring people together through the message of the poem. Your work, “Black Dandelion,” struck a chord with me because it reminded me of my culture and my family – two of the most important aspects of my life. I try my best every day to reconnect with my authentic Indian culture and with my family’s support and love I can make progress every day. Your use of the dandelion as a symbol was an eye-catching and powerful one because the connection between the dandelion and the suffering of the oppressed holds a strong bond. One detail that helps form this connection was, “Dandelions bare art of/endurance and escape/transforming into pearl puffs/floating with ephemeral intention/carrying the spirit of the weed” (25-29). I admired how you created the idea of the spirit of the weed, and how it connects with the oppressed. My descendants were affected by the actions of people with greed and blind ambition. They were massacred in their own lands and put to death for fighting for their human rights. This line resonates with me, Indian people, African American people, and all people who are victims of oppression. Another aspect of your poem that I found interesting was the subtle hint of the support from the people around you. As you know, no celebrated figure in history contributed to the cause that they believed in without the support of their families and their communities. A line that caught my eye was, “No Blooming Allowed; Blossoms Will be Persecuted/These brave plants grew just for me” (11-12). This part of the text highlights the contributions that the people around us make for the same cause. It is easy to forget about the sacrifices that have been made in the past, the sacrifices being made currently, and the suffering that may come because of the fight against oppression. The love that my family gives me is a crucial aspect that helps me get up at 5:30 every morning to go to school. Their love shows me the importance of learning and making discoveries. They show me that because the world uses the chains of expectations to make us feel weak, we need to use the fire inside of our hearts to break free of that restraint. “Black Dandelion” truly opened my perspective of the emotions and feelings of the oppressed through the comparison of everyday objects, such as lawnmowers. The end left me wondering what amused and mortified you about the “hat framed faces of the pious.” Is it that many people with good intentions are influenced by others with the intention to harm? Thank you for writing such a delightful and compelling poem. You have truly shown me the power of passion and perseverance – the power of the weed! Sincerely, Adithi
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To view Semaj reading Black Dandelion and to read MORE student letters and the Poet Laureate Fellow response, Please Visit Dear Poet at the Academy of American Poets Website, poets.org
FLINT POET LAUREATE REPORT | SUMMER 2022
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FLINT POET LAUREATE REPORT | SUMMER 2022
RASPBERRIES & WRITING : A WRITERS GUIDE
RASPBERRIES & WRITING PATHWAYS OF PREPARATION | INTO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF WORDS Poet Laureate, Semaj Brown transforms her original writing, “Mother’s Raspberry Lessons,” into a 5 part allegory that teaches discernment and determination. Ms. Brown adds thought provoking questions, valuable Points of Preparation, and golden notes to guide future elementary, middle, and high school students through the wonderful world of words—careers in writing. The introduction is signature, Semaj Brown combining art and science, a STEAM
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The New McCree Theatre introduces the “Youth Virtual Art Explosion Series” featuring Semaj Brown as she welcomes you to the Wonderful Word of Words. The virtual presentation introduces youth to a 5 Part Writing Guide, Pathways of Preparation: The Wonderful World of Worlds.
workshop playground, presenting lessons on plant and tree development, analogous to human maturation. Utilizing a bit of comedy to what could otherwise be a mundane subject, Semaj compares beans with beings, tree roots with historical roots, and suggests that the diversity of curved, straight and wide canopy growth patterns of trees, reflect how people too, prepare and succeed differently on varying pathways.
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TEA TIME WITH THE POET LAUREATE COLUMN
POETS ARE EVERYWHERE SPECIAL: MAGNIFYING JENE’A JOHNSON It’s winter in Flint, Michigan. The landscape is the color of old dusty lace. Snow this time of year is in the habit of growing gray. Children play in the yet remaining white spots while adults bundle and dream of Spring. Flint is a fascinating place filled with treasures buried beneath the urban permafrost. The greatest resource in my post-industrial home is its people. Human capital makes the gray glow. To see the glint, you may have to shovel a bit. A scoop to the left in 2013 and I uncovered the visual art of Dean Edith Withey. Another scoop to the right a few years later I found the Rosie Ray Collection. These
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SEMAJ BROWN INTERVIEWS JENEA JOHNSON, EMERGING LITERARY ARTIST Semaj Brown: “When did you begin writing Poetry?” Jene’a Johnson: “I would say I’ve been writing poetry since I could actually write. Like the moment I could string together cohesive sentences I went into “roses are red, violets are blue”. It was my kindergarten teacher, Ms. Clark I believe, who first gave me the idea that kids could create; anyone could create art for that matter. I remember writing my mom little love notes, and every English teacher I’ve had since then has left a profound mark on my mind.”
treasures vast in community value, but seemingly veiled according to the new social media standards. Uncovering these talented artists made my enthusiasm explode. Immediately, I organized to help illuminate the gifts of these African American women. I thought people need to know about Withey’s paintings presented as a flora frolic in acrylic, and the master the craftsmanship of Ray expressed in ornate dolls, and cornucopia of unique conversational pieces. My magnifying glass has migrated, and is focused now on POETRY, literature, and literacy. Oh, the treasures one can find while scrolling social media. Like a laureate detective scoping the landscape searching for a bounty of words, arrested I was upon reading and rereading a turn of phrase that prompted inquiry, “Are you a writer?” I asked. The answers are found here in the first of a special edition of my column, “Poetry Confessions: Tea Time with the Poet Laureate– Poets are Everywhere!” Today we magnify emerging literary artist, Jene’a Johnson. POETRY BY JENE’A JOHNSON Read Full Article and Interview Here
POACHING FOR IVORY Have you ever seen their skin? Elephants submerged in water so that Its mud and sin washed away with kin Sun shines and tells its story of black One voice singing through a sea of hate Straining to throw his voice, a cross Introduced to his startling fate And found his sound taken, not lost In fear our plight become angers White flags waved falsely to make matters moot Memories of being hunted and handled by strangers Regularly hunger from trees like strange fruit We have confessed, as their bodies hit the ground
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“Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown”
WHAT IS THE MEDIA SAYING ABOUT SEMAJ? Semaj Brown is a thought leader who navigates outside the line. As Flint, Michigan’s First Poet Laureate, Semaj is a 21st century innovator in the areas of the literary arts, health/science education, and theater. Semaj is recognized by the Academy of American Poets, New York, New York as a Poets Laureate Fellow. For a feature in Flint Journal, MLIVE Brown recites the poem “Where Am I From?” at The Flint Institute of Arts. Semaj was selected to write the work, fall of 2020 as a part of national project, “Vote the Earth” which focuses on the intersection of environmental and racial injustice, organized by Kent State University in partnership with Columbia University and EarthEthics.org.
Click Here to Performance
Watch
Click Here to Read MLive Article
Click Here to Watch Dawn Jones Interview
FLINT POET LAUREATE REPORT | SUMMER 2022
POET LAUREATE INTERVIEWS SPRINGFIELD, MA | A Living Legacy | Af-Am Point of View A LIVING LEGACY: FLINT, MICHIGAN’S INAUGURAL POET LAUREATE, SEMAJ BROWN Some folks are so real, so present, that they arrive intimately close, ride from the virtual world and feel like they’re seated next to you. I kept having the desire to offer Semaj Brown the hospitality of food and drink even though we were meeting over Zoom. Brown takes her role as the inaugural poet of Flint, Michigan seriously. She understands the power of poetry to inspire change to heal and connect us to ourselves, each other, the Earth, and our true histories. Like myself, Brown is one of the 23 national recipients of the Academy of American Poets Poet Laureate Fellowship, 2021-2022, made possible for us with funds from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. We know and care that this award highlights more than just us – it shines a bright light on our respective cities and communities, while affording us the opportunity to continue in service to our communities through poetry, as we have done throughout our lives. Brown is yet another example of why I believe that none of us are strangers – that all of us are connected and belong with each other. I am grateful to Semaj Brown for sharing from her magic and vibrancy with us. CONTINUE READING INTERVIEW HERE
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NEW YORK, NY | Poets Laureate Fellows Interview | poets.org POETS LAUREATE FELLOWS INTERVIEW: SEMAJ BROWN Poets.org: Your project’s emphasis on “Poetry as a Second Language” recalls Audre Lorde’s quote “Poetry [...] lays the foundations for a future of change, a bridge across our fears of what has never been before.” What kind of second language do you hope to foster with your projects? Semaj Brown: The process of poetry creation is not unlike the advanced art of dance or rendering fine visual art or any other discipline requiring gifted precision. Reaching for the essence of the core, distilled understanding found in the figurative verse is similar to capturing verve in musical composition or condensing meaning to a kernel in mathematical common denominators. The “second language as poetry” is about process, thinking, then doing, the thoughtful application of being. I want my students, and thus, community, to begin to think, and communicate inside of the perimeters of poetry. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING THIS INTERVIEW
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Meet Flint’s Poet Laureate Semaj Brown | MyCity Magazine MEET FLINT’S POET LAUREATE SEMAJ BROWN “I believe we are the creative imagination of our futures. I understand thought to be the poetic spark from which all things manifest. Thoughts are architectural, building words into language, constructing societies that define Earth’s social ecosystems.” Semaj Brown CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING THIS INTERVIEW
Stateside with April Baer | Michiganradio.org FLINT POET SEMAJ BROWN AWARDED AN AMERICAN ACADEMY OF POETS GRANT The American Academy of Poets has chosen Flint’s Poet Laureate, Semaj Brown, as one of twentytwo 2021 Poet Laureate Fellows. Brown will receive $50,000 for her literary work. Brown intends to put the award toward the Poetry Pod Project, or P3. The virtual programming series, a project of her own design, aims to support literacy in Flint. “We know a healthy community is a literate community, and what better way to support literacy than through poetry?” Brown said. “Because poetry is fun, it’s musical, it’s relevant, it’s historic, it’s all those things wrapped into one.” CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING THIS INTERVIEW
FLINT POET LAUREATE REPORT | SUMMER 2022
Civic Project Inc. | ABC12 FLINT, Mich. (WJRT) - Sunday is Black Poetry Day, which was created in honor of poet, writer and preacher Jupiter Hammon. He became the first published African-American poet on Oct. 17, 1761. Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. has joined with Flint’s first poet Laureate, Semaj Brown, to launch Flint’s Virtual Poetry Gallery. She talked about the project. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING THE INTERVIEW
Ethan Wang Interviews Flint Poet Laureate | National Student of Poet Inquiry SEMAJ BROWN, FLINT POET LAUREATE, INTERVIEW An interview with poet Semaj Brown, The Flint, Michigan Poet Laureate, where she discusses poetry as a unique medium, music as an inspiration, and more. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE VIEW VIDEO INTERVIEW
Flint’s First Poet Laureate | East Village Magazine FLINT’S POET LAUREATE, SEMAJ BROWN, RECEIVES $50,000 AWARD FROM THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF POETS FOR CIVIC PROJECT FLINT POET LAUREATE REPORT | SUMMER 2022
“I thank you all. Also thank you to the Academy of American Poets. To the Dreamers, and the dreamless, to the faithful and the faithless, to those who know, and to those who seek to those who turn things up downside in, and to those who carry tradition in gnarled knuckles…” – Semaj Brown
Click here to continue reading this interview
$50K awarded to Semaj Brown | The Courier News $50K AWARDED TO SEMAJ BROWN, POET LAUREATE OF FLINT For the 2021 fellowship, the Academy of American Poets with support from the Mellon Foundation will fund 23 individuals who serve as poets laureate of states and cities across the U. S. These poets will lead public poetry programs in their respective communities in the year ahead. The fellows will each receive $50,000 (or $25,000 each in the case of the shared poet laureate position in Montana) for a combined total of $1.1 million. In addition, the academy will provide over $100,000 total to 14 local 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations that have agreed to support the fellows’ proposed projects. CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING THIS INTERVIEW
FLINT POET LAUREATE REPORT | SUMMER 2022
SEMAJ BROWN PERFORMS
THE POET LAUREATE RECENT PERFORMANCES PERFORMANCE OF “WHERE AM I FROM?” | MLIVE FLINT JOURNAL VIDEOGRAPHER NAME CODY SCANLAN DATE: JUN 23, 2021 Semaj Brown’s Theatrical productions are multi- layered, multi-media, cultural, emotional, and hilarious shapeshifting time capsules. “Semaj presents a Mt. Kilimanjaro performance. Her poetry and delivery is transporting. Audiences are pulled by the magnetic force of Semaj’s words into different worlds and dimensions.” – Jasmine Murrell, New York International artist WATCH PERFORMANCE HERE
FLINT POET LAUREATE REPORT | SUMMER 2022
HORIZONS IN POETRY FEATURING SEMAJ BROWN | RON ALLEN PROJECT DATE: FEB 28, 2022 Horizons in Poetry is part of the Ron Allen Project, a 2021 Knight Arts Challenge Detroit winner. The project is made possible with funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Our Project is also supported by the Hannan Center and Kayrod Gallery in Detroit. Ron Allen founded Horizons in Poetry (HIP) in 1982 with Wardell Montgomery Jr. and John Mason. First housed in Cobb's Corner, a jazz bar in Detroit's Cass Corridor, every event had a featured reader followed by an open mic. The Ron Allen Project is proud to continue the series in a virtual format and we will be using this channel to post recordings of the events. WATCH PERFORMANCE HERE
FLINT POET LAUREATE REPORT | SUMMER 2022
ABOUT SEMAJ BROWN Flint, Michigan’s First Poet Laureate, Semaj Brown is a 21st century Thought Leader who synthesizes ideas and philosophies, inventing pathways of being. She moves with fluidity as a university lecturer, and K-12 curriculum builder/facilitator. Semaj Brown’s creations: poetry installations, theatrical verse productions, academic essays, and workshops are an amalgam of the arts and the sciences, a marriage between poetry and analysis. The Poetry Pod Project (P3) has been Semaj Brown’s civic focus since her open term appointment, September 27, 2019. P3 unfolds with ambition. To understand the structural and systemic, seemingly insurmountable scourge of illiteracy, and yet despite barriers organize and implement sustainable poetry programming throughout the City of Flint, is the goal. To ignite, to foment a culture of poetry, and thus literacy is the mission. To impart programming designed to increase reading and writing skills while integrating arts and sciences is the innovation. Semaj Brown: “Poetry advances the quality of life of citizenry when organized as a precious power tool.” The history of community service feels innate to Semaj. As Community Outreach Director for the private medical practice of her husband, James Brown, MD PLC, over a 15-year span, Semaj created and facilitated, as the practice sponsored over 50 workshops, 3 health Fair/Conferences, 2 Broadcast Radio Shows, always integrating art and science, utilizing poetry as a transformational force.
FLINT POET LAUREATE REPORT | SUMMER 2022
AWARDED
FLINT POET LAUREATE REPORT | SUMMER 2022
BOOKS AUTHORED BY
FLINT’S INAUGURAL POET LAUREATE BLEEDING FIRE! TAP THE ETERNAL SPRING OF REGENERATIVE LIGHT: CONVERSATIONS IN POETRY AND PROSE
MAKING OF A NEW TRIBE
FEASTS AND FABLES FROM THE PLANTED KINGDOM A STORY COOKBOOK
COMING SOON
WALKING RIVERS LOOK FOR “WALKING RIVERS” IN 2023!
FLINT POET LAUREATE REPORT | SUMMER 2022
IN GRATITUDE THANK YOU: FRIENDS, SUPPORTERS AND PARTNERS TO THE POET LAUREATE!
BUILDS POET LAUREATE LIBRARY WITH GENEROUS HELP FROM: SUSAN M KORNFIELD GENESEE COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY ALLIANCE
A partner to Flint’s Inaugural Poet Laureate is an individual, organization, or institution that engages with Semaj Brown in an effort to forward the civic project, The Poetry Pod Project (P3). The Poetry Pod Project is interdisciplinary, intergenerational poetry programming that increases the visibility of poetry. P3 also utilizes poetry and literacy games to enhance reading and writing while incorporating the arts and the sciences.
FLINT POET LAUREATE REPORT | SUMMER 2022
Dear Beautiful People, Gratitude is my heart. To my Family, Friends, Fans, Supporters, to the Collaborators, Organizations, and Institutions that have engaged my interdisciplinary, literary /literacy civic art throughout the years, I thank you ALL. I extend unyielding love and appreciation to my ever supportive husband, James Brown, M.D. Also, thank you to the Academy of American Poets. To the Dreamers, and the dreamless, to the faithful and the faithless, to those who know, and to those who seek, to those who turn things up downside in, and to those who carry tradition in gnarled knuckles... Poetry is my 2nd language, spiritual dialect, way of being; it is a cultural life raft for our community— the golden root tip of blood, of bones, and that combustible joy ignited in the spine of fire laughter. Thank you for accepting my offerings, as my service is my practice.
“Poetry advances the quality of life of citizenry when organized as a precious power tool.” -Semaj Brown Semaj Brown Flint Michigan's Inaugural Poet Laureate Academy of American Poets Poet s La urea t e Fellow 2021
CONTACT AND CONNECT EMAL: 1PLFLINT@SEMAJBROWN.COM
www.semajbrown.com poets.org/poet/semaj-brown