in-person event; open to the public
Governor’s Island
Nolan Park
White Horse Stage
Sally Familia (they/them) is a queer poet and freelance editor. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Washington Heights, Familia has a rooted passion for their community. They spent a year serving as senior editor for La Galería Magazine, a Dominican-based magazine for the Dominican diaspora in Washington Heights. They hold a B.A. in creative writing with a focus on poetry from SUNY Oswego. Most recently, Sally’s passions have shifted; now incorporating a strong desire to work with and for the youth. Sally hopes to merge their love for literature, Queer and BIPOC communities, and the youth as they continue to navigate the artist/ professional dichotomy. Sally has been awarded the Academy of American Poets Prize for the poem, “The Trouble with Reminiscing” (2019). They were also nominated for a Pushcart Prize by Brooklyn Poets for the poem, “Esperanza, Republica Dominicana”. Sally is currently working on their first poetry collection.
From the tender age of 11, Nyilah Bree Thomas always adored putting pen to paper (now thumbs to screen) anything that her mind could come up with, and she referred to this as “poetry.” Free from any and all colloquialisms, she writes for her very life. A few years later, she continues to write just about new experiences. Majoring in Social Work and minoring in Creative Writing and Psychology, Nyilah plans to utilize her formal education and passion for writing when engaging with vulnerable populations within society.
Tara Lago is a poet and storyteller from Staten Island, who enjoys puns, random facts, and Walkmans.
Mia Lindenburg is a writer based in New York, with a background in slam poetry. She works in both poetry and prose, and is currently working on a novel. Outside of writing, she is a current graduate student at NYU, where she studies literature and library science.
the public