Overview: The Oak Spring Garden Foundation and the Furious Flower Poetry Center are pleased to partner for this virtual conversation to celebrate the release of two debut collections of poetry: Black Pastoral by Ariana Benson, OSGF's 2022 Eliza Moore Fellow for Artistic Excellence, and winner of the 2022 Furious Flower Poetry Prize, as well as Heirloom by storyteller and environmental educator Ashia Ajani. The reading and conversation will be moderated by award-winning poet Lauren K. Alleyne, Executive Director of the Furious Flower Poetry Center at James Madison University.

Black Pastoral explores the complex duality of Black peoples’ past and present relationship with nature. It surveys the ways in which histories (both Black histories and natural/ecological histories), suffering and thriving, are forever wound around one another.

Ashia Ajani's Heirloom stands as a poetic homage to the profound legacy of her family's migration journey – a path traversing from Bentonia, Mississippi to Detroit, Michigan, and finally to Denver, Colorado.

After successfully registering for the lecture, attendees will receive a follow up email containing the link to join the event. The event will not be recorded, and will include closed captioning. A PDF of the poems read will be shared with attendees prior to the event.

Tickets: Free