About the Event

Kick-start the second season of our late-hours series with a night of spoken word poetry. Poet Alexa Patrick hosts this exciting evening featuring a headline performance by nationally recognized poet, educator, and activist Roya Marsh.

As DJ Franky J sets the mood in the Great Hall, local poets Marjan Naderi, Carlynn Newhouse, Dwayne Lawson-Brown, Lauren May, and Tatiana Figueroa Ramirez activate the museum with their powerful work. Attendees can create a collaborative poem and purchase signed books from guest poets.

Two drink tickets included with admission; additional beverages and food are available for purchase.

About the Performers

Alexa Patrick is a vocalist and poet from Connecticut. She is the author of Remedies for Disappearing (Haymarket Books, 2023) and has held teaching positions through Split This Rock, the University of the District of Columbia, and the Center for Creative Youth at Wesleyan University. Alexa is currently the programs director for Shout Mouse Press, a nonprofit writing program and publishing house. In spring 2023, Alexa made her stage debut in the opera We Shall Not Be Moved, directed by Bill T. Jones, a Kennedy Center Honors and Tony Award recipient.

Roya Marsh is a Bronx, New York, native and a nationally recognized poet, performer, educator, and activist. She is the author of dayliGht (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2020), a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Poetry, and the forthcoming collection SAVINGS TIME. Roya works feverishly towards Queer liberation and to dismantle white supremacy. She is the co-founder of the Bronx Poet Laureate position, a PEN America Emerging Voices Mentor, and a Lambda Literary faculty member. Roya is a recipient of the 2021 Lotos Foundation Prize for Poetry and a 2024 Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) Grant from the Bronx Council on the Arts.

DJ Franky J, a proud Washingtonian, boasts nearly seven years of experience as a talented DJ. Her electrifying sets have graced prestigious venues including the Carnegie Institution of Washington, the Kennedy Center, and the Eaton Hotel. She has been a staple at events for Washingtonian magazine, the Lyle Hotel, and FitDC, among many others.

Marjan Naderi is a Muslim Afghan American writer and performer currently attending the University of Virginia. As a seven-time poetry grand slam champion and former D.C. Youth Poet Laureate, Marjan explores themes of identity, home, and Islamic mythology in her work.

Carlynn Newhouse (she/her) is a poet, host, performer, and educator. Carlynn is the recipient of fellowships from Adobe, the Watering Hole, the Obsidian Foundation, and the Hurston/Wright Foundation. She is the only three-time Youth Speaks Seattle Grand Slam Champion, and she is the fourth-ranked woman poet in the world. Carlynn believes poetry is a form of activism and a tool to make the world a safer space.

Tatiana Figueroa Ramirez currently performs, facilitates workshops, and hosts events in the Washington, D.C. area, having previously done so across the United States and the Dominican Republic. Notable venues include the Kennedy Center and New York University. Her work has been featured in publications including the Acentos Review and on the MSNBC show Leguizamo Does America. Tatiana is the author of Coconut Curls y Café con Leche (2019), Despojo (2020), and Exhume (forthcoming).

Lauren May is a writer, artist, host, teacher, student, and French fry enthusiast from Washington, D.C., and Prince George’s County, Maryland. In addition to publishing two poetry collections, she is a two-time member of Split This Rock’s award-winning DC Youth Slam Team and is currently a Split This Rock Teaching Artist. Her poetry speaks to personal struggles and triumphs, mental health, social problems, and the celebration of life. She was a guest speaker at the 2017 White House United State of Women Summit and the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault’s 10th Annual Women of Color Network Conference, among others.

Dwayne Lawson-Brown (they/them), aka the Crochet Kingpin, is a Washington, D.C.-born-and-raised author, playwright. and arts administrator for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Dwayne’s publications include One Color Kaleidoscope (2019), twenty:21 (2021), and Breaking the Blank (Day Eight Books, 2022), co-authored with Rebecca Bishophall. As a playwright, Dwayne has been nominated for a Helen Hayes award. They are also a competitive karaoke champion and CEO of Crochet Kingpin Designs. Ultimately, Dwayne’s goal is to invite folks to feel again.