Grace Cavalieri Interviews Slam Poet Star, Mecca Verdell
The Maryland Poet Laureate talks youth, fearlessness, and colorism with slam poet, Mecca Verdell
In this new episode of Grace Cavalieri's The Poet and the Poem, the Poet Laureate sits down with 23 year-old Baltimore slam poet, Mecca Verdell, who just recently published her first collection of poems.
Grace and Mecca talk colorism, youth, and fearlessness in this 30-minute long interview which includes a handful of poems which Mecca delivers in a slam performance style. Grace, awed by Mecca's delivery and poetic voice, pronounces that, after 60 years of reading poetry, she is still learning.
Listen to the entire interview here.
Make sure you pick up Grace's book, Other Voices, Other Lives which traces here own journey in poetry and includes several interviews with poets like Rita Dove.
Rose Solari Came of Age as Teacher at “The Writer’s Center”
In this short essay, Rose Solari muses on her time as a teacher working in the early ’90s at Bethesda’s up and coming “The Writer’s Center”, and on how a recent reconciliation led our 2019 book launch back to The Center.
Grace Cavalieri and Other MD Poets Honor Stanley Plumly on Midday W/Tom Hall
Grace Cavalieri, Elizabeth Spires, and Michael Collier discuss the life and work of former MD Poet Laureate, Stanley Plumly, on WYPR’s Midday with Tom Hall.
“Melodic Recollections of Notable Musicians: Stories from the Stacks” Reuben Jackson on VPR
In “Melodic Recollections of Notable Musicians” Reuben spends an hour recalling his adventures and misadventures as curator of the Smithsonian’s Ellington collection. For anyone interested in knowing more about Reuben Jackson and the immense jazz influence in his poetry, this is the place to start.