Each year, Just Buffalo Literary Center invites adult poets of all ages and stages of their career to apply for its Poetry Fellowship, which gives one talented writer a cash stipend to live and write in one of the nation’s most vibrant literary cities, plus an opportunity to read at an event curated by Just Buffalo Literary Center. Here is the selected fellow and finalists.
Ashia Ajani (they/them) is an award-winning Black storyteller soulchild hailing from Denver, CO, Queen City of the Plains and the unceded territory of the Cheyenne, Ute, Arapahoe and Comanche Peoples. They are an environmental justice educator with Mycelium Youth Network and co-poetry editor of The Hopper. Their work explores Black diasporic environmental stewardship, harm & placemaking. Their words have been featured in Sierra Magazine, World Literature Today, Lumiere Review, Atmos Magazine and Eco Theo Review, among others. Their poetry debut, Heirloom, is forthcoming in Spring 2023 from Write Bloody Publishing. They can be found grass-side, sharing a cup of coffee with the sun. // AshiaAjani.com
ARIANA BENSON // ArianaBenson.wordpress.com
ERIN MARIE LYNCH // ErinMarieLynch.com
MILICA MIJATOVIĆ // MilicaMijatovic.com
HANTA T. SAMSA // twitter.com/hantatalasamsa
BERNARDO WADE // BernardoWade.com
DANIEL GARCIA // On Twitter (@daniellovesyooh)
BENJAMIN GUCCIARDI // Visit BenjaminGucciardi.com
ANGELA PEÑAREDONDO // Visit AngelaPenaredondo.com
MARY-KIM ARNOLD // Visit MKimArnold.com
NOVA CYPRESS BLACK // On Instagram (@novacypressblack)
ARMEN DAVOUDIAN // Visit ArmenDavoudian.com
BENJAMIN GARCIA // Visit BenjaminGarciaPoet.com
MICHAEL PRIOR // Visit MichaelPriorWriter.com