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Explore generations of language with award-winning poet María Fernanda.
Explore generations of language with award-winning poet María Fernanda in this poetry experience in reflection of Freedom and Resistance: An Exhibition Inspired by The 1619 Project. Participants will consider the many histories of a word, a name, a home, and so much more. Generative writing exercises are inspired by excerpts of poems, in-library literary archives, and other sources. Visitors will be invited to select a word, follow its etymology (chart provided), and then replace each root word with their own poetic lines. For advanced poetry enthusiasts and first-time writers, alike, this program is available to all and free of charge. Feel free to bring a notebook or paper and a writing utensil.
For reasonable accommodation requests, please contact the Center for Accessibility at DCPLaccess@dc.gov or 202-727-2142.
This event is presented as part of the programming accompanying Freedom & Resistance: an exhibition inspired by The 1619 Project.
About the Poet:
María Fernanda (she/hers) is a poet whose work explores the intimacy of sisterhood, the anchor of intergenerational coexistence, and grief. Awarded the Norma Elia Cantú Award in Creative Writing and the Andrea Klein Willison Prize for Poetry, María Fernanda performs her original poetry across the United States, including at the National Gallery of Art’s Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955 - 1985, the Brooklyn Museum’s Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power, and more. Internationally, María Fernanda read her work to audiences in Hamburg, Moscow, and Nikiti. Her works appear in The Healing Verse Poetry Line, Cave Canem's Dogbytes, the Hill Rag, and Cheryl Clarke's born in a bed of good lessons: poems inspired by the works of Lucille Clifton. María Fernanda is a Callaloo fellow.
About the People's Archive
The People's Archive at DC Public Library is home to the dynamic collections that preserve and share the stories, histories, and voices of Washington, D.C.’s diverse communities, as well as the Black experience in the Unites States. It features materials—such as photographs, oral histories, documents, and more—that highlight the vibrant local, national and international history of DMV residents, grassroots movements, and cultural milestones, making it a valuable resource for researchers, historians, and anyone interested in learning more about the city’s past and present.
AGE GROUP: | Seniors | Adults | 13 - 19 Years Old (Teens) |
EVENT TYPE: | Writing | Special Collections | Exhibit |
