Columbia is the perfect place for a poetry festival, according to the city's poet laureate. And now she'll be part of making it a reality.
Richland Library Main will host the inaugural Soda City Poetry Festival on June 22. The festival will feature a variety of workshops, panels and writing sessions, all organized by Jennifer Bartell Boykin, Columbia's poet laureate.
Boykin, who also works as a teacher in Richland County, created the festival after being named a 2023 Poet Laureate Fellow by the Academy of American Poets. The academy awards fellows $50,000 to develop "creative and timely poetry programs" in their cities, and Boykin decided to use the money to create a debate/poetry slam program for teenagers and to fund the festival.
Boykin said the event is an opportunity to showcase Columbia's strong poetry community. (Read Full Article)
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