Festival Event
with KENZIE ALLEN and J.P. INFANTE
Friday, September 13, 2024, 7:00 - 8:30PM EST
at Akwaaba, NYC
We’re honored to present CLOUD MISSIVES (Tin House Books) by award winning poet KENZIE ALLEN at Akwaaba on Friday, September 13th, 7PM - 8:30PM EST.
Join us as we watch her words come to life with a dance performance created by Ballet Hispánico (BH) choreographer Rodney Hamilton and BH dancer, Bria Vainqueur. Poet JP Infante, author of ON THE TIP OF YOUR MOTHER’S TONGUE, will moderate the conversation.
THIS EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
We will be livestreaming the event for those who are not able to join us in person!
RSVP at events@kwelijournal.org
Please note: For security purposes, please register with your full name and the full names of your guests and specify if you are attending virtually or in person. Thank you.
Kweli Journal is excited to partner with Akwaaba to present this special #KweliLitFest24 festival event.
ARTISTS
KENZIE ALLEN
Kenzie Allen is the author of Cloud Missives (Tin House, 2024). A poet and multimodal artist, she is the recipient of a 92NY Discovery Prize, the James Welch Prize for Indigenous Poets, the 49th Parallel Award, and broadside prizes from Littoral Press and Sundress Publications. Her work can be found in Narrative, POETRY, Poets.org, Boston Review, Best New Poets, and other venues. Born in West Texas, Kenzie currently works as an Assistant Professor in Indigenous Literatures and Creative Writing at York University in Toronto. She is a first-generation descendant of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin.
JOHN PAUL INFANTE
JP Infante is the author of On the Tip of Your Mother’s Tongue and Aquí y Allá: un retrato de la comunidad Dominicana en Washington Heights. He is the winner of PEN’s Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize and Thirty West’s Chapbook contest. His writing has appeared in Kweli, The Poetry Project, Rigorous, A Gathering of the Tribes, and elsewhere. He has been awarded scholarships and fellowships from the NY State Writers Institute, PEN America and The Center for Fiction. He holds an MFA from The New School.
RODNEY HAMILTON
Rodney Hamilton began his training in his native St. Louis at several schools including Carr Lane V.P.A., the Center of Contemporary Arts, and Alexandra School of Ballet. He also studied with Ms. Katherine Dunham and joined the chorus at the MUNY where he performed for seven years. After arriving in New York City, he graduated with a BFA in Dance from the Juilliard School and joined Ballet Hispánico where he was a principal dancer and assistant rehearsal director for 10 years. Mr. Hamilton holds an MFA in Dance from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. He has taught ballet, modern, and Dunham technique all over the world. Mr. Hamilton is happy to be returning home to Ballet Hispánico as a faculty member at the School of Dance and to take on the role of BHdos Rehearsal Director.
BRIA VAINQUEUR
Bria Vainqueur was born and raised in New Jersey. She began her studies in dance at three years old and is currently a part of the Pa’lante Scholarship Program at Ballet Hispánico. “The Pa’lante Scholars initiative is an innovative, full-tuition scholarship for professional studies training designed to bridge the gap between the pre-professional and professional stages of a dancer’s career. Ballet Hispánico is answering the need for more career centered programs that build artistry and leadership for our communities, without the financial burden often tied to professional development.” Bria is in her second season with Pa’lante.
KEY EVENT INFO:
Performance, Reading & Conversation feat. Kenzie Allen with J.P. Infante
A #KweliLitFest24 Festival Event
Date: Friday, September 13th, 7PM - 8:30PM EST
Location: Akwaaba (347 MacDonough St., Brooklyn, NY 11233)
A Look Back | #KweliLitFest23 at Ballet Hispánico
with
Pulitzer Prize Finalist Ingrid Rojas Contreras
