Lizard Lounge Poetry Jam-Michelle LaPoetica Richardson

$10

Michelle LaPoetica Richardsonis a bilingual poet, spoken word artist, artivist, and love and unity advocate deeply rooted in the city of Lynn, Massachusetts. In April 2025, she was appointed as the first-ever Poet Laureate of Lynn, a historic recognition of her tireless commitment to poetry, public art, and creative community engagement in her beloved City of Lynn, Massachusetts, across the North Shore and beyond.

Proud of her Dominican roots and Afro-Caribbean lineage, Michelle moves through the world as a vessel for healing, truth, and transformation. Her work—whether on stage, on the sidewalk, or behind the scenes—is grounded in the belief that art can uplift, empower, and create spaces for collective liberation. She is the visionary founder of DENCITY, a creative initiative that amplifies underrepresented voices through open mics, spoken word, public installations, and inclusive programming that invites people of all backgrounds to witness themselves and each other in full color and spirit.

Michelle’s poetry and curatorial projects open center themes of identity, resilience, ancestry, joy, and belonging. She is known for cultivating vibrant open mic spaces for both youth and adults, and for bringing love-infused artistry to civic conversations, neighborhood corners, classrooms, and cultural stages. Her work lives at the intersection of language justice, community storytelling, and artistic activism, and she often collaborates with municipalities, grassroots organizations, and cultural institutions to bridge art with action.

This spring and summer, as Lynn’s Poet Laureate, Michelle is leading a powerful series of public ARTivations throughout the city—projects that will speak literally from the ground up, weaving poetry into the fabric of everyday life and honoring the spirit, strength, and stories of the community. While each initiative is distinct, they all share Michelle’s hallmark of intentionality, inclusion, and a fierce commitment to love as practice.

With a background in interpretation, education, and community outreach, Michelle has served as a mentor, speaker, and curator across countless stages, and her work continues to echo in hearts, alleyways, classrooms, and city halls. Through every poem, every partnership, and every platform she creates, Michelle LaPoetica Richardson invites us to remember: we belong, we matter, and we rise—together.

Host or Publisher Lizard Lounge