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THOMAS KNEELAND
THOMAS KNEELAND
Press Kit
We Be Walkin' Blackly in the Deep
Poems
Speaking Engagements
Substack
Events
News
Shop
Connect
THOMAS KNEELAND
THOMAS KNEELAND
Press Kit
We Be Walkin' Blackly in the Deep
Poems
Speaking Engagements
Substack
Events
News
Shop
Connect
Press Kit
We Be Walkin' Blackly in the Deep
Poems
Speaking Engagements
Substack
Events
News
Shop
Connect

Poets at Tomorrow: José Olivarez & Taylor Byas
Mar
25

Poets at Tomorrow: José Olivarez & Taylor Byas

  • Monday, March 25, 2024
  • 7:00 PM 9:00 PM
  • Tomorrow Bookstore (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Join Tomorrow Bookstore for a poetry performance evening with three incredible, award-winning poets. Tickets are pay-what-you-can with a suggested price of $15 for this event. This helps to fund the costs of programming - we pay all of these performers, poets, and authors.

José Olivarez is the son of Mexican immigrants. His debut book of poems, Citizen Illegal, was a finalist for the PEN/Jean Stein Award and a winner of the 2018 Chicago Review of Books Poetry Prize. It was named a top book of 2018 by the Adroit Journal, NPR, and the New York Public Library. Along with Felicia Chavez and Willie Perdomo, he coedited the poetry anthology The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 4: LatiNext. He cohosts the poetry podcast The Poetry Gods.

Dr. Taylor Byas, Ph.D. is a Black Chicago native currently living in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she is an Assistant Features Editor for The Rumpus, an Acquisitions Poetry Editor for Variant Literature, a member of the Beloit Poetry Journal Editorial Board, and a 2023-24 National Book Critics Emerging Fellow. She is the 1st place winner of the 2020 Poetry Super Highway, the 2020 Frontier Poetry Award for New Poets Contest, and the 2021 Adrienne Rich Poetry Prize. She is the author of the chapbook Bloodwarm from Variant Lit, a second chapbook, Shutter, from Madhouse Press, her debut full-length, I Done Clicked My Heels Three Times from Soft Skull Press, which won the 2023 Maya Angelou Book Award and the 2023 Chicago Review of Books Award in Poetry, and her second full-length Resting Bitch Face, forthcoming in 2025. She is also a coeditor of The Southern Poetry Anthology, Vol X: Alabama, published with Texas Review Press in December 2023, and Poemhood: Our Black Revival, a YA anthology forthcoming from HarperCollins.

Thomas Kneeland, MFA is a poet, educator, community leader, and visual artist. He is author of the chapbook, We Be Walkin’ Blackly in the Deep and one of ten 2022 Frontier Poetry Global Poetry Prize finalists for the continent of Africa. He is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Elevation Review. His publication credits include the Southern Humanities Review, The Rumpus, Vagabond City Lit, Up the Staircase Quarterly, South Florida Poetry Journal, and elsewhere. He is also a reader for Frontier Poetry and a Poetry Referee for Callaloo: A Journal of African Diaspora Arts and Letters. He holds a BA in English from DePauw University, an MA in Ministry from Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University, and an MFA in Poetry from Butler University.

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Poetry is LIT: Generative Writing Workshop Series - december
Dec
11
Poetry Workshop

Poetry is LIT: Generative Writing Workshop Series - december

  • Monday, December 11, 2023
  • 6:00 PM 7:00 PM
  • Indianapolis Public Library - Spades Park Branch (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Join us for "Poetry is LIT," a monthly workshop series that combines the beauty of poetry with the fiery spark of creativity. Step into a safe and nurturing space, where the power of words illuminates the path to self-expression.

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Poetry is LIT: Generative Writing Workshop Series - november
Nov
13
Poetry Workshop

Poetry is LIT: Generative Writing Workshop Series - november

  • Monday, November 13, 2023
  • 6:00 PM 7:00 PM
  • Indianapolis Public Library - Spades Park Branch (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Join us for "Poetry is LIT," a monthly workshop series that combines the beauty of poetry with the fiery spark of creativity. Step into a safe and nurturing space, where the power of words illuminates the path to self-expression.

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Keynote, "Cultivating Equitable & Thriving Communities w/ Poetry"
Oct
27
to Oct 29

Keynote, "Cultivating Equitable & Thriving Communities w/ Poetry"

  • Fri, Oct 27, 2023 8:30 AM Sun, Oct 29, 2023 7:30 PM
  • Potawatomi Inn & Conference Center (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

In a rapidly evolving world, the sun rises and sets differently for every person. The arrival of dawn for one person may mean freedom and, for another person, it may mean getting on the hamster wheel.

Similarly, dusk may mean sleep for one person and running from a living nightmare for another person. In the world of poetry, each passing generation of poets has taught us that our realities, while seemingly mundane, are diverse, unique, and challenging.

Because of our varying circumstances, we all need a pathway to better life and well-being. However, our society often emphasizes equality over equity. This usually leads to the acceptance of a one-size-fits-most mindset in health care, education, corporate America, and civic engagement.

The power of poetry, however, lies in its potential to guide us towards a transformative understanding: to cultivate equitable and thriving communities, we must acknowledge the urgency of meeting individuals where they are.

By embracing poetry's ability to reshape our collective future, we can embark on a journey of rewriting a narrative that values equitable inclusivity and ensures that everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

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Poetry is LIT: Generative Writing Workshop Series - october
Oct
16
Poetry Workshop

Poetry is LIT: Generative Writing Workshop Series - october

  • Monday, October 16, 2023
  • 6:00 PM 7:00 PM
  • Indianapolis Public Library - Spades Park Branch (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Join us for "Poetry is LIT," a monthly workshop series that combines the beauty of poetry with the fiery spark of creativity. Step into a safe and nurturing space, where the power of words illuminates the path to self-expression.

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An Evening of Poetry
Oct
7

An Evening of Poetry

  • Saturday, October 7, 2023
  • 7:30 PM 9:00 PM
  • Tomorrow Bookstore (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS
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Writer's Block Festival - Louisville LIterary ARts
Sep
30

Writer's Block Festival - Louisville LIterary ARts

  • Saturday, September 30, 2023
  • 9:30 AM 4:00 PM
  • Logan Street Market (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS
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Poetry is LIT: Generative Writing Workshop Series - september
Sep
11
Poetry Workshop

Poetry is LIT: Generative Writing Workshop Series - september

  • Monday, September 11, 2023
  • 6:00 PM 7:00 PM
  • Indianapolis Public Library - Spades Park Branch (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Join us for "Poetry is LIT," a monthly workshop series that combines the beauty of poetry with the fiery spark of creativity. Step into a safe and nurturing space, where the power of words illuminates the path to self-expression.

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Authors at Tomorrow
Aug
19

Authors at Tomorrow

  • Saturday, August 19, 2023
  • 11:00 AM 1:00 PM
  • Tomorrow Bookstore (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS
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Poetry is LIT: Generative Writing Workshop Series - august
Aug
14
Poetry Workshop

Poetry is LIT: Generative Writing Workshop Series - august

  • Monday, August 14, 2023
  • 6:00 PM 7:00 PM
  • Indianapolis Public Library - Spades Park Branch (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Join us for "Poetry is LIT," a monthly workshop series that combines the beauty of poetry with the fiery spark of creativity. Step into a safe and nurturing space, where the power of words illuminates the path to self-expression.

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Feb
14

Lounge & Listen: MAD LOVE Poetry Slam

  • Tuesday, February 14, 2023
  • 6:00 PM 8:00 PM
  • Google Calendar ICS
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Feb
9

Louisville Literary Arts | InKY Virtual Reading Series

  • Thursday, February 9, 2023
  • 7:00 PM 9:00 PM
  • Google Calendar ICS
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Jan
7

Phi Beta Sigma Founder's Day Luncheon

  • Saturday, January 7, 2023
  • 11:30 AM 1:30 PM
  • Google Calendar ICS
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Heritage, Poetry & Culture
Oct
22

Heritage, Poetry & Culture

  • Saturday, October 22, 2022
  • 6:30 PM 8:30 PM
  • Google Calendar ICS

In this virtual workshop, explore the world of poetry through the lens of writers who have spent their lives contributing to the accentuation of heritage, identity, and culture in our global society.

You will also have the opportunity to participate in writing exercises and workshop discussions to help broaden your poetic perspective.

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The Poetry of Witness Workshop
Oct
8
Poetry Workshop

The Poetry of Witness Workshop

  • Saturday, October 8, 2022
  • 12:00 PM 2:00 PM
  • Barnes & Noble (Perry Crossing) (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Indianapolis poet and author, Thomas Kneeland, conducts and facilitates a workshop on the poetry of witness at Barnes & Noble (Perry Crossing).

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Power is Poetry: A Poetry Reading
Sep
10

Power is Poetry: A Poetry Reading

  • Saturday, September 10, 2022
  • 10:00 AM 2:00 PM
  • Barnes & Noble (Perry Crossing) (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Indianapolis poet and author, Thomas Kneeland, reads and performs select poems from his published collections of poetry at Barnes & Noble (Perry Crossing).

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