Fifth annual Writers on Greenwood brings trailblazing poets to historic district

The Center for Poets and Writers at OSU-Tulsa is celebrating its fifth annual Writers on Greenwood event Nov. 4, 2021 with poets Clemonce Heard and Tyehimba Jess.

At 5 p.m., Jess will lead a craft talk for writers. At 7:30 p.m., both poets will present a reading and conversation followed by a book signing with Fulton Street Books in the OSU-Tulsa auditorium.

The reading and craft talk are both free and open to the public, but registration is required for the craft talk. Those interested in participating can register for the craft talk at bit.ly/CraftTalkJess. A reception sponsored by the Bob Dylan Center will follow at the Greenwood Gallery, at 10 North Greenwood Avenue.

“I am thrilled to welcome two groundbreaking poets to our campus for our fifth Writers on Greenwood event at OSU-Tulsa,” said Lindsey Smith, director of the Center for Poets and Writers at OSU-Tulsa. “Clemonce Heard is an MFA graduate of our creative writing program and has already had such success as a writer and mentor. Tyehimba Jess celebrates unexplored histories through music, performance, and rich characters in his poems. To see these two share the stage and explore the legacy of Greenwood here in Tulsa will be a special opportunity.”

Pultizer Prize winner Jess is a genre-bending poet who artfully combines slam and blues traditions and explores African American history in his two poetry collections, LEADBELLY and OLIO. OLIO, the winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, is inspired by the lives of African American musicians and performers. Heard's debut, TRAGIC CITY, is inspired by the Tulsa Race Massacre and has won the Anhinga Robert Dana Prize.

Writers on Greenwood is an annual series that adds to the cultural life of Tulsa in service to the outreach mission of OSU-Tulsa, engaging voices from the community and striving for greater inclusivity in the literary arts.

Funding for this program is provided in part by a grant from Oklahoma Humanities (OH) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of OH or NEH.

To learn more about other programs and initiatives from the Center for Poets and Writers at OSU-Tulsa, visit their website at tulsa.okstate.edu/cpw.