News Release Contact: Sandra Fernandez
Manager of Public Relations
Houston Public Library
832.393.1381; cell 713.435.9448
sandra.fernandez@houstontx.gov
Release Date: July 27, 2011Poetry Presentation at Houston Public Library’s Kendall Neighborhood LibraryThe Houston Public Library (HPL) in partnership with Public Poetry invite the community to a free Poetry Reading featuring four outstanding poets and a guest poet. This presentation will be a fast-paced hour filled with beautiful language and intriguing words that combine to create energy, excitement, and an emotional charge. After the presentation, the audience will have an opportunity to meet the poets and get signed copies of their books. This event will take place Saturday, July 2, 2011 at the Kendall Neighborhood Library, 609 N. Eldridge, 77079, 832-393-1880. This program is free and open to the public. For additional details visit www.houstonlibrary.org or www.PublicPoetry.net.
The Houston Public Library and Public Poetry have partnered to bring the community a free Poetry Reading Series the first Saturday of each month throughout 2011. The series features local and visiting poets. Public Poetry exists to bring the public and the poetry community together, and to create a buzz about poetry.
FEATURED POETS Saturday, August 6 at 2 PM
Kendall Neighborhood Library
609 N. Eldridge, 77079, 832-393-1880Alan Ainsworth’s poetry and prose have appeared in “The Atlantic Monthly,” “The Paris Review,” “The American Book Review,” “The New England Review,”“ArtLies,”“Mutabilis Press,” and other journals. He teaches in the English Department of Houston Community College-Central.
Joseph Campana is a poet, arts reviewer, and scholar of Renaissance literature. He is the author of “The Book of Faces,” with poems in “Slate,” “Conjunctions,” “Guernica,” “Kenyon Review,” “Poetry,” and many other venues. He has received grants from the NEA and the HAA and teaches literature and creative writing at Rice University
Sarah Cortez has numerous poems anthologized here and in Europe and won the 1999 PEN Texas Literary Award in Poetry. A police officer since 1993, she is a co-editor of the crime literary journal “Lineup: Poems on Crime” and author of “How to Undress A Cop.” Most recently, she edited “You Don’t Have A Clue: Latino Mystery for Teens” by Arte Público Press, (2011) and co-edited “Indian Country Noir” (2010).
Jeannie Gambill’s poetry has appeared in “Gulf Coast,” “Cenizo,” “The Weight of Addition: An Anthology of Texas Poetry,” and in “Texas Poetry Calendar 2011.” Her poetry will also be in the upcoming “Texas Poetry Calendar 2012.” She has been a finalist in the Ruth G. Hardman/Nimrod Poetry Competition. Jeannie has long resided in the Houston area, though she also claims West Texas and South Georgia as home.
Van G. Garrett’s poetry has been published in journals and anthologies in the United States, Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, and elsewhere. His collection of poetry, “Songs in Blue Negritude” (Xavier Review Press, 2008), was introduced by A. Van Jordan. His second collection, “ZURI: Love Songs” (introduced by Kwame Alexander) will be published by Cap & Sneakers Studios and available on eBooks summer 2011. For touring schedule visit: http://vanggarrettpoet.com.
About the Houston Public Library
The Houston Public Library (HPL) operates 35 neighborhood libraries, three HPL Express Libraries, a Central Library, the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, theClayton Library Center for Genealogical Research, The African American Library at the Gregory School, and the Parent Resource Library located in the Children’sMuseum of Houston. Serving more than 4 million customers per year, HPL is committed to excellent customer service and equitable access to information and programs by providing library customers with free use of a diverse collection of printed materials and electronic resources, Internet, laptop and computer use, and a variety of database and reference resources with live assistance online 24/7.
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Cap & Sneakers Studios, LLC
www.capandsneakers.com
Dear Mr. Garrett,
I’d like to formally congratulate and welcome you to the Cap & Sneakers family! We are honored to be electronically publishing your poetry collection, ZURI: Love Songs.
As far as we are able to discern, you are among the first wave of acclaimed young African-American poets to circumvent a print publisher and have your work distributed by an electronic publisher. As such, you will be a pioneer in this revolutionary medium in not only your artistic community, but the larger writing community as well.
We look forward to working with you and welcome your feedback.
Sincerely,
Randolph Walker, Jr., Esq.
Principal
Cap & Sneakers Studios, LLC
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“COLLAB for AWARENESS”
Curated by Lauren K. Sleat Department of Art foundations instructor at Georgia College & State University.
Featuring: Van G. Garrett, a Houston based poet who has been collaborating with Sleat for six years on such topics as the KKK. Garrett and Sleat not only work professionally together but have designed collaborative projects and shows involving their students who are from diverse cultural backgrounds. Sleat and Garrett will speak on the importance of cross-disciplinary work in education.
Poetry Reading: Garrett will read from his book “Songs in Blue Negritude” Tuesday evening in the Wooten Garner ArtFix gallery. February 22 at 6:00 pm
“Collab for Awareness” is a group of artists and writers making a difference by creating artwork together to promote awareness around crimes of humanity and Genocides of the past and today.
Show dates: February 20th – 27th
“COLLAB for AWARENESS” Opening Reception: Monday February 21st from 5:00pm-7:00pm
Artist’s talks: 6:00 pm
Where: Wooten Garner / ARTFIX Gallery
South Clarke Street
Milledgeville, Ga 31061
For More information call: 478-445-4572
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Date: December 11, 2010
Contact: Steve Vinik, 954-625-2800 x. 2266, svinik@broward.org
Welcome desk and general information: 954-625-2810
International Author and Artist Van G. Garrett
to Talk About Poetry at AARLCC on December 20
BROWARD COUNTY, FL – An internationally known author and artist named Van G. Garrett (also known as Fui Koshi) will discuss poetry and offer free poetry critiques to adults and youth at the African-American Research Library and Cultural Center on Monday, December 20 between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Mr. Garrett’s poetry has been published in journals and anthologies based in the United States, Africa, Switzerland, Turkey and London. His debut collection of poetry, “Songs in Blue Negritude,” is published by Xavier Review Press (2008).
As a literary artist, he has received numerous awards and fellowships, including a BID Fellowship (Tuscany); Dr. Kwame Nkrumah International Study Scholarship (Ghana); a Poets & Writers, Inc. Readings / Workshops Grant; a Hurston/Wright Fellowship for poetry; two Callaloo Creative Writing Fellowships; and a Great River Arts Institute Fellowship. Additionally, he has served as a judge for the National Poetry Slam.
As a visual artist, Garrett’s / Koshi’s photography, videos, and paintings have been on display or utilized by the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the University of Rhode Island, Rice University, the International Film Channel (IFC), the Indie Black Film Festival, the Aurora Picture Show; HBO's The Wire: Spoken Word Battle; The Source, and Capitol Records.
Van G. Garrett earned his MAIS from the University of Houston-Victoria and his B.A. from Houston Baptist University. He is the first student to receive a graduate certificate in African American Studies from the University of Houston.
For more information, email vanggarrett@gmail.com or visit his web site at www.vanggarrettpoet.com
The African-American Research Library and Cultural Center is located at 2650 Sistrunk Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, phone 954-625-2810.
The award-winning Broward County Libraries Division, founded in 1974, provides essential quality-of-life community service as well as outstanding customer service throughout Broward County. It has grown to become the ninth-largest library system in the nation. It is also one of the busiest, with more than ten million walk-in customers visiting its 37 locations throughout the year. Broward County Library provides more than three million items and 3,000 computers, and facilitates events and programs that satisfy the changing needs of Broward County’s diverse community of children, teens, and adults for information, education, and recreation. It retains a strong emphasis on literacy and after-school programs. The library’s Web site, www.broward.org/library, continuously evolves to meet the needs of its customers and to offer information that encourages exploration of knowledge and self-expansion. In addition to providing electronic visitors with information about its locations, services, and events, the Web site has easy links to online catalogs, references, and electronic databases. Broward County Library has also become a leader in E-Communication, offering easy ways for its customers to stay electronically informed through its E-Newsletter, E-Spotlights, E-Updates, and E-Invitation. Visit and bookmark www.broward.org/library.
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