The Napkin Poetry Review Hosts Poet Reading Series

In light of the ongoing global pandemic and the deeply disturbing, awful acts of racial injustice witnessed most recently over the past weeks, The Napkin Poetry Review hopes to contribute to a sense of community, reflection, and dialogue through poetry as people seek to find and share empathy in this overwhelming period. Two quotes speak especially to this series: the first is by contemporary poet Roger Robinson who said, "Empathy is the most important goal of poetry,” and we consider these words now alongside Kurt Tucholsky’s ”Language is a weapon, keep it honed." In this spirit, we’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity to share the words by incredibly talented poets, their work helping to shape culture and how we imagine humanity. To read the interviews and learn more about the poets, head to the Poets section of our website or watch them now on our Instagram IGTV: https://www.instagram.com/napkinpoetry_review/channel/

Featured poets: 

Victoria Chang, who spoke about grief, writing processes, and how poetry fosters empathy before reading from her collection Obit

Maya C. Popa, who spoke about a writer’s role in politics and how collective and personal experiences intersect before reading from her collection American Faith

Anthony Anaxagorou, who spoke about his path as a writer, poetry’s role in wellbeing, and how we could create better entry points into poetry before reading from his collection After the Formalities

Andre Bagoo, who spoke about themes of rebirth, collective culture, and his inspirations before reading from his collection Pitch Lake

Taneum Bambrick, who spoke about writing honestly and the unique path to her collection before reading from her collection Vantage Point

Inua Ellams, who spoke about his work as a multifaceted artist, oscillating between genres, and storytelling before reading from his collection #Afterhours