PA News

Poetry workshops explore justice and community

UNIVERSITY PARK -- Local poets and writers are invited to take part in a free September workshop series exploring poetry as a tool for healing, resistance, community building and social change.

Award-winning author and poet Terry Watson and State College's inaugural Poet Laureate Carmin Wong will lead the "What is Justice" Disability, Justice and Community Poetry Workshop Series on three consecutive Wednesdays beginning Sept. 2.

The series is open to new and experienced writers. The two workshops are limited to 14 participants, and participants are asked to attend both sessions as well as a public poetry performance Sept. 16. Registration is required.

The first workshop, "Reading, Reflection and Discovery," will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 2 in the Sun Room at Schlow Centre Region Library, 211 S. Allen St., State College.

The session will examine poetry within disability and racial justice communities, with a focus on intersectionality. Participants will take part in writing and reflection exercises and discussions centered on the question, "What Is My Story?"

The second workshop, "Finding Our Voice," will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 9 at Schlow library.

Participants will reflect on selected poems and the stories they tell, discuss how poetry can help people process and understand the world, and explore techniques for translating lived experiences into creative work. Participants also will begin developing personal narratives through poetry.

The series will conclude with the "What is Justice" Community Poetry Performance and Celebration at 6 p.m. Sept. 16 at 3 Dots Downtown, 137 E. Beaver Ave., State College. The event also will be livestreamed.

The performance will feature activist-writers from State College and the Centre Region sharing original work and participating in collective storytelling and reflection. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Watson is director of Penn State's Office of Accessibility and Inclusion within the Chaiken Center for Student Success and founder of Strategies for Justice. He is the author of the award-winning book "Welcome to the Sick Mind of a Sane Person: Deconstructing Racism and White Supremacy," which explores racism through stories, essays and poetry.

Wong, a Guyanese-born poet-organizer and playwright, is a dual-title doctoral candidate in English literature and African-American and Diaspora studies at Penn State. She was appointed State College's inaugural poet laureate in 2025.

The workshops are presented through Penn State's Center for the Performing Arts, part of the College of Arts and Architecture. Registration and additional information are available through the Center for the Performing Arts.