Chang in Antigua

This is a post note from the US Embassy in Barbados re the recent mini-tour of three islands in the Caribbean by Tina Chang, Brooklyn Poet Laureate. I was at that reading and loved so many things about it from Chang’s reflections on the link between her personal and her poetry, to her reporting on her efforts as Laureate to bring poetry to the community, to her sharing of her space with local poets including Wadadli Pen’s own Asha Graham, to her wonderful poetry. Thanks, Tina, for an evening well spent.  And this is what the Embassy folks had to say (also, enjoy the pictures they provided of the event):

Chang with local poet Kimolisa Mings whose first collection She Wanted a Love Poem recently debuted.

Chang with 2013 and 2014 Wadadli Pen winner Asha Graham.

Tina Chang, Brooklyn, New York’s Poet Laureate, showcased her poetry during three evening public events in Antigua, Barbados, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. These readings showcased the diversity and modernity of American literature. The events also allowed Ms. Chang to share her opinions on poetry’s relevance and give insight on her creative process.

Poetry is a legitimate part of the literary landscape. Poets have always played an important role in telling the American story, and the Eastern Caribbean has a rich cultural history of poetry and story-telling. Great poetry resonates with us, challenges us, and teaches us about ourselves and the world in which we live.

The cultural industries contribute to a vibrant, prosperous society. The program aligned with the U.S. Embassy’s goals of investing in people through education and promoting social equity. This program helped the U.S. Embassy recruit candidates for the International Writers’ program (IWP), the Department of State’s premier exchange program for creative writers.

See pictures of all Chang’s stops.

Read Chang Biography: BIO_TINA CHANG (longer).

As with all content (words, images, other) on wadadlipen.wordpress.com, except otherwise noted, this is written by Joanne C. Hillhouse (author of The Boy from Willow Bend, Dancing Nude in the Moonlight,  Fish Outta Water, and Oh Gad!). All Rights Reserved. If you enjoyed it, check out my page on Amazon, WordPress, and/or Facebook, and help spread the word about WadadliPen and my books. You can also subscribe to and/or follow the site to keep up with future updates. Thanks. And remember while linking and sharing the links, referencing and excerpting, with credit, are okay, lifting whole content (articles,  images, other) from the site without asking is not cool. Respect copyright.

Spotlight: Tina Chang

Courtesy the US Embassy Bridgetown, concerning the presentation this Thursday 25th September, 6 p.m. by Brooklyn Poet Laureate, Tina Chang, at the Antigua State College. This is a bit more about the poet, plus interesting insight re the role of the poet laureate, and your late day reminder about the event.

The San Francisco Chronicle has described her poetry as “a vast, beautifully fashioned mosaic of indelible, variegated pieces.” Publishers Weekly has also described her poetry as “ambitious, yet accessible.”

For Brooklyn Poet Laureate Tina Chang, poetry is not “lofty.” As a matter of fact, one of her chief goals is to “demystify the role of the poet.”

Of Chinese descent and raised in New York City, Ms. Chang is the first woman to be named the Poet Laureate of Brooklyn. But what exactly is a Poet Laureate? A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution. Laureates receive a stipend and are given the responsibility of overseeing an ongoing series of poetry readings and lectures, as well as a charge to promote poetry. Ms. Chang said that as the Brooklyn Poet Laureate, she wants to create a website spotlighting other borough poets.

Her interest in poetry began from a very early age. Born in Oklahoma to Chinese immigrants, Ms. Chang moved to New York when she was a year old, so her father could be treated for liver cancer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. “I started questioning even at a very young age, well, what is language?” she said. “What is the role of words?”

After pursuing a string of English-related jobs, Ms. Chang enrolled in a master of fine arts program in poetry at Columbia in 1995. Her first book “Half-Lit Houses,” a collection of poems tracing the life of a girl who loses her father back to Hunan, China in the 1930s and ’40s, was published in 2004. She is also the author of the poetry collection “Of Gods & Strangers.” Ms. Chang has received awards from the Academy of American Poets, the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, the Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation, the New York Foundation for the Arts, Poets & Writers, and the Van Lier Foundation among others.

She currently teaches poetry at Sarah Lawrence College and is an international faculty member at the City University at Hong Kong.

U.S. Embassy Bridgetown is pleased to host the Brooklyn, New York’s Poet Laureate Tina Chang from September 25- 27, 2014 on a three-island tour of Antigua, Barbados, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Ms. Chang will showcase her poetry during evening public events, which will highlight the diversity and modernity of American literature, as well as allow her to share her opinions on poetry’s relevance and give insight on her creative process.

This series of public readings will also help the U.S. Embassy recruit candidates for the International Writers’ program (IWP), the Department of State’s premier exchange program for creative writers.

Poetry Night with Tina Chang

This just came in the mail..

Hello

The U.S. Embassy to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean has invited Brooklyn, New York’s Poet Laureate, Tina Chang, to host a series of public poetry readings in Antigua, Barbados, and St. Vincent and Grenadines on September 25, 26, and 27 respectively.  This program will showcase the diversity and modernity of American literature, as well as allow Ms. Chang to share her opinions on poetry’s relevance and insight on her creative process.

Please see attached flyer for the date and time she will be in Antigua, we would be happy if you join us at this free cultural event.

Feel free to pass along this flyer to your friends, family and contacts.