Tongo Eisen-Martin

I, I also, as, as you noted, have a fairly unique perspective because before I worked as a vice president at the Kennedy Center, I was a commissioned artist there.

I've hosted national youth poetry festivals there.

So I've been a consultant, I've been an artist, I've been a vice president, and I was a co-architect of the future of the center.

A- and then maybe most germane to speaking out in this moment, I am a citizen of the United States of America.

We have a whole bunch of poets performing alongside a percussionist that morning in the Victoria Theater inside NJPAC.

They include poets like Meg Day, Tongo Eisen-Martin, Ricky Laurentis, Rajiv Mohabir, Naomi Shihab Nye, Jose Olivares, Danette Smith.

So that's going to be a really beautiful opening session on Saturday morning.

Another session that I am so excited about for on Saturday is The Future is Female with Elizabeth Acevedo.

You know, as you say that, I have to say that many, actually, of us, the poets that you just named were my mentees.

Meg Day was in my, when she was getting her MFA at Mills College, she was one of my students.

Tongo Eisen-Martin, I met when he was a senior in high school.

He might tell you that I'm, at least partially responsible for his rise as a poet.