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Over 800 million people globally live in food insecurity, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, despite the fact that sufficient food is produced to "feed the world." Food insecurity is the result of a combination of factors, including political instability and policy decisions, war, climate change and, recently, the Covid-19 pandemic. While food insecurity, or hunger, tends to be concentrated in global regions with relatively less political and economic power, people and communities in wealthy and more powerful regions also experience these realities. In the United States, for example, 10% of the population was food insecure in 2021, and food insecurity nationally and in New York City is disproportionately experienced by members of BIPOC/BIPGM communities. Addressing food insecurity and hunger requires long-term and multi-faceted work. Along with policy and structural changes, raising awareness of not only these food system realities, but also ways that diverse modes of communication can help shift mindsets about hunger and community-driven strategies to address it, are important parts of making change.
This event will showcase powerful poems by 5-10 poets from New York City and beyond as they demonstrate the role that poetry is playing in speaking back to hunger. We’ll also hear from several food systems and social justice leaders who will briefly share insights about the heart-grabbing and mind-changing difference that poetry plays – or could play – in their efforts. The poems and commentaries will be followed by Q&A among the audience and panelists. Attendees will leave the event having heard, seen and felt – having learned – how poetry can contribute to strategies to fight hunger and food insecurity.
This event is part of the Food Studies Program's 2022-23 series "Food, Art, and Social Justice." It is hosted by the Food Studies Program at The New School in collaboration with Poetry X Hunger, an informal initiative focused on intentionally inspiring poetry that addresses the cause of preventing and eliminating hunger. The event will be moderated by Food Studies Program Chair Kristin Reynolds, Food Studies faculty member Thomas Forster, and Poetry X Hunger founder and poet Hiram Larew.
Moderators:
Dr. Kristin Reynolds, Chair and Assistant Professor of Food Studies, The New School
Thomas Forster, Part-time Assistant Professor of Food Studies, The New School
Hiram Larew, Poet and Founder, Poetry X Hunger
Photo Credit: Diane Wilbon Parks
Presented by the Food Studies Program in the Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students at the Schools of Public Engagement.
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Henry Crawford is the author of two collections of poetry, American Software (CW Books, 2017), and the Binary Planet (Word Works, 2020) and a chapbook, The Little Box Theater (printF Press 2022). He won first prize in the 2019 World Food Poetry Competition. His work has been published in Boulevard, Copper Nickel, Rattle, the Southern Humanities Review, and others. He was nominated for the 2022 Rhysling Award by the Science Fiction Poetry Association. He also serves at a co-host of the Café Muse Literary Salon Online
Janet Cannon is from the Boston area originally, but she has lived in Manhattan, San Francisco, Taos, Tucson, and Seattle. She is a graduate of the University of Iowa.
Janet’s poems have been published in many literary journals such as the William & Mary Review (College of William & Mary), Berkeley Poetry Review (University of California), and The Hollins Critic (Hollins University)—among other journals. She is the author of the following published book/chapbooks: The Last Night in New York (Homeward Press), Percipience (Cross Cut Saw Press), and Day Laborers (Plan B Press).
Janet has been an editor at Scholastic Books, and a technical writer and editor at several high-tech corporations. She has taught Language Arts at the Taos Indian Pueblo, oral history writing at the NYC Public Library (Chelsea Branch), and ESL at The New School in NYC and community colleges in New York and New Mexico—among other places.
Takudzwa Chikepe, famously known as VaChikepe: The Poet is one of the best writing poets from Africa. A two-time featured poet at the Bridgewater International Poetry Festival; and last year, he won The International Reggae And World Music Award (IRAWMA): Best Poet in the Mutabaruka Category (the first African to win this Award) amongst other awards.
VaChikepe is also the founder of VaChikepe And The Hundred Sailors (VHS), the publisher of “The Sailors Review” (TSR) newsletter/journal, in the vision of “Grooming world class artists through appreciating Poetry and other forms of Art”.
Takudzwa Chikepe is currently studying his Master of Divinity at Duke University in North Carolina.
VaChikepe: The Poet, believes that poetry is a calling; and he uses different states of mind, music, and spirituality to define and express poetry, and he also believes that,
“Art is not just a subject, but a financial therapy that can heal nations”.
Willeena Booker is an inspiring educator, powerful poet, and fierce advocate of social justice. Willeena's poetry celebrates Black identity, affirms cultural diversity, and advocates for equality for all. Willeena writes poetry that celebrates young readers. Her poetry was included in the Things We series by Pomelo Books, 2022. Her poem, I Matter, is featured on the Poetry Project's BIPOC page. Willeena’s poems also appear in Haiku Poetry Moonstone Press 2022, Oprelle Publication’s Rise Up Anthology 2021. Her poem Coming Home to You, was listed as a finalist in Coming Home to Hope Anthology 2021, Oprelle Publications. In February 2022, Willeena's poem Longing for More, was selected to open the Global Leadership in Agriculture (GLAG) 2022 Virtual Conference. Willeena's Poem, One Voice, was set to music by world renowned composer Rollo Dilworth in 2022 and sung by the high school chorus of Hatboro-Horsham School District in Horsham, Pennsylvania. Willeena lives in Blue Bell, PA with her poet’s pen and journal, her loving husband, and three beautiful daughters.
T. A. Niles was a seed planted in the Caribbean soil of Trinidad & Tobago on the cusp of the transformational 60s. He was watered and fertilized in the gardens of Brooklyn, New York and Hartford, Connecticut throughout most of the bell-bottomed era of the 70s. He was forged in trials by fire in the US Marine Corps in the late 70s thru early 80s, budded and bloomed in academia in the 80s and 90s, before his withering began at the turn of the 21st century.
T. A. is officially retired-although he’s every bit as busy as he was before retirement, and he lives with his beloved Stephanie and their cat Luna in Mimbres, New Mexico- the latest stop on a life journey dotted with myriad landscapes. You can find out more about T. A. on his Poetic Expressions-Plus blog and on his YouTube Channel. Twitter: @taniles13
A National Board Certified elementary art teacher, Linda M. Wolfe also taught talented and gifted classes during her thirty year career.
She enjoys composing poetry, particularly sonnets. The Iowa Poetry Association’s anthology, Lyrical Iowa, has annually chosen one of her poems for publication for over a quarter century.
Following the passing of her son, she started a blog, https://Linda-M-Wolfe.com/. It focuses upon the themes of the illusion of loss and coping with grief as viewed by her personas of mother, teacher, artist and seeker. Additionally, she parallels these thematic ideas with empowering, inspirational messages as applied to the current state of affairs in our ever changing world. Currently, she is in the revision process on her memoir.
Linda and her husband thrive in living amongst the rural, open expanses of nature in southwest Iowa, observing and listening for the lessons to be learned.
Sylvia Dianne Beverly is an Internationally acclaimed poet, presenting poetry In London, England, at the Lewisham Theater. A collection of her work is housed at George Washington University's Gelman Library. She is a member of A Splendid Wake, Gelman Library, George Washington University.
Also, she has been featured at Smithsonian's Museum of History, African Arts Museum, Hirshon Museum and other Smithsonians. Ladi Di as she is affectionally called is a founding member of the poetry ensemble "Collective Voices ". She is a proud member of Poetson the Green Line, Poetry X Hunger, Poetry Poster Project and Voices of Woodlawn. Ladi Di celebrated the 40th Anniversary of Host Grace Cavalieri, reading on her show "The Poet and the Poem" at the Library of Congress Experience. Also, she is a founding member of the Anointed PENS (Poets Empowered to Nurture Souls) Poetry Ministry, out of Ebenezer AME Church, an alum of Poets in Progress with Poet Laureate of District of Columbia, the late Dolores Kendrick. She is author of two books (Forever In Your Eyes and Cooking Up South), both on Amazon. Recently her poetry appears in several International anthologies, Moonstone Press Anthology and as part of Mike Maggio”s 30/30 Series for National Poetry month 2021.
Ladi Di is also called "Love Poet". The late Dr. Maya Angelou is her hero. She is the proud Matriarch of her family. Celebrating Black History 2018, she and her family received posthumously for her Dad, a “Congressional Gold Medal” from the United States Marines. She is a Poet of Excellence in Prince Georges County 2020. Poetry is her passion.
