About Me
photo by Kristen Bryant
After experiencing the sudden passing of my father -- who, months prior I'd shared my first published poem (Young Detroiter, 1996) with in the kitchen of his and my mother's home, I found poetry to be my "life-line."
Poetry took on a different meaning for me after my Dad passed. It helped me process the pain and grief that were raw and unimagable. Years later, I started The Word Project (TWP) as a way to provide urban youth a safe space to share their complex stories through poetry. Today, TWP has expanded its reach, and works with those of all ages and walks of life. And, through it, Snapdragon: A Journal of Art & Healing was born; now in its sixth year.
I'm truly blessed to do this work and am committed to helping others with their art, artistic practice, and using art as a catalyst for healing.
After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (1994), with a BA in Speech Communications, I began her career as a public relations professional. I parlayed those skills with my love for the nonprofit sector, and after receiving her MPA in Nonprofit Management from Georgia State University (2000), I worked in the field of resource development and event planning for several Atlanta-based nonprofits.
I loved Atlanta but also wanted to return home to focus more on my writing. So, in 2005, I returned to NC and I brought TWP with me. I've studied Poetry Therapy with Dr. Sherry Reiter of the Creative Righting Center in NY, and have worked alongside renowned poetry therapist, author, and friend John Fox
.
As director of TWP, I lead countless workshops and trainings; am called upon as keynote speaker for programs; serves as a consultant for many initiatives. Jacinta is also recognized as a NC Arts Council Teaching Artist. But my work doesn't stop at poetry. I'm also called upon as an artist facilitator and thought partner working with such groups like EMC Arts, UNC School of the Arts, and the Kenan Institute for the Arts. I'm also a certified coach!
My latest collection of poetry, Resurrecting the Bones: A Journey through African American Churches and Cemeteries in the Rural South was released Sept. 2019 by Press 53 (read more here). My chapbook, broken ritual, was released by Finishing Line Press in 2012. Other works include: poetry in, What Matters Anthology (Jacar Press, 2013), Press 53 Open Awards Anthology (2008) as its first prize winner, contributor to My Soul to His Spirit: Soulful Writings of African American Daughters to Their Fathers (SoulDictates, 2005), and editor of Walking With God (Duncan & Duncan, 1996). See a list of more recent published work here.
Poetry took on a different meaning for me after my Dad passed. It helped me process the pain and grief that were raw and unimagable. Years later, I started The Word Project (TWP) as a way to provide urban youth a safe space to share their complex stories through poetry. Today, TWP has expanded its reach, and works with those of all ages and walks of life. And, through it, Snapdragon: A Journal of Art & Healing was born; now in its sixth year.
I'm truly blessed to do this work and am committed to helping others with their art, artistic practice, and using art as a catalyst for healing.
After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (1994), with a BA in Speech Communications, I began her career as a public relations professional. I parlayed those skills with my love for the nonprofit sector, and after receiving her MPA in Nonprofit Management from Georgia State University (2000), I worked in the field of resource development and event planning for several Atlanta-based nonprofits.
I loved Atlanta but also wanted to return home to focus more on my writing. So, in 2005, I returned to NC and I brought TWP with me. I've studied Poetry Therapy with Dr. Sherry Reiter of the Creative Righting Center in NY, and have worked alongside renowned poetry therapist, author, and friend John Fox
.
As director of TWP, I lead countless workshops and trainings; am called upon as keynote speaker for programs; serves as a consultant for many initiatives. Jacinta is also recognized as a NC Arts Council Teaching Artist. But my work doesn't stop at poetry. I'm also called upon as an artist facilitator and thought partner working with such groups like EMC Arts, UNC School of the Arts, and the Kenan Institute for the Arts. I'm also a certified coach!
My latest collection of poetry, Resurrecting the Bones: A Journey through African American Churches and Cemeteries in the Rural South was released Sept. 2019 by Press 53 (read more here). My chapbook, broken ritual, was released by Finishing Line Press in 2012. Other works include: poetry in, What Matters Anthology (Jacar Press, 2013), Press 53 Open Awards Anthology (2008) as its first prize winner, contributor to My Soul to His Spirit: Soulful Writings of African American Daughters to Their Fathers (SoulDictates, 2005), and editor of Walking With God (Duncan & Duncan, 1996). See a list of more recent published work here.