FREE
Lipsey Auditorium, Knox Building

Join former Buffalo Poet Laureate Jillian Hanesworth for an evening of poetry and community! Gather to honor those we lost on May 14 and hear a featured set of poetry from Hanesworth, including poems from Before and After Again. Poets are invited to share an original piece. Poets are encouraged to visit the exhibition, and sign-ups are encouraged.

Interested in participating? Sign up here. 

About Jillian Hanesworth

Jillian Hanesworth is an EMMY-nominated spoken word artist, former Poet Laureate Emeritus of Buffalo, New York, and a community organizer and activist. Jillian was born and raised on the east side of Buffalo, where she developed a vision to use art and advocacy to help her community reimagine justice and work together to create a system where all people can thrive. 

Currently, Jillian travels the country performing poetry and speaking on various topics, including art for activism, the impacts of storytelling, and the importance of honest and critical social and political conversations. In addition, Jillian oversees “Buffalo Books," a nationally recognized program which aims to improve access to culturally relevant books for residents of the east side of Buffalo with the hopes of helping to increase literacy rates among Black and brown communities.