Poetry Reading

A beautiful and thought-provoking moment of cultural and literary exchange is set to take place at the Kota Alliance on Sunday, November 23rd!

This special Sunday afternoon brings together two acclaimed and distinct poetic voices: Finnish-American poet Niina Pollari and a Haitian American poet and activist Betty Pierre.

Guests are invited to gather for an engaging experience that will weave together diverse perspectives, bridging the cultural distance between Finnish and American sensibilities through the power of poetry.

BIOS:

NIINA POLLARI is the author of two poetry collections. Her second book Path of Totality (Soft Skull) was named one of the best poetry books of 2022 by the New York Times. Her first book, Dead Horse, was published in 2015 by Birds, LLC; her next one, Risk Tolerance, will be out in February 2027 from Autofocus Books.In addition to writing, Pollari also translates contemporary Finnish poetry -- she is the translator of Tytti Heikkinen's poetry collection The Warmth of the Taxidermied Animal and various poems by the poet Teemu Helle.She lives in Marshall, North Carolina with her family. Find out more about her at niinapollari.com.

BETTY PIERRE, is a Haitian American Social Worker, Poet, Activist and Mother. The author of a poetry collection Babel (2007) and contributing writer to the anthology Covid Rebels 21 (2021). Multilingual, she weaves Creole, French and Spanish into her poems sharing with a variety of audiences the depth of her pieces. She received an Editor’s Choice Award from the International Library of Poetry; A recognized Writer’s Digest International book award poet; World of Poetry merit winner for her poem Once the Bountiful after the play A Trip to Bountiful by the American playwright Horton Foote. Her powerful feminist poem Who is Jane? was published in the International Women’s Writing Guild Network Journal.
Betty merges social activism, photography, poetry and art to inspire people about her passions. She has dedicated her life to working with families, women and children, everywhere and focused on issues including: Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking, Sexual Assault, Murdered and Missing Indigenous People, LGBTQ Rights, Social and Civil Justice and Runaway Homeless Youth.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

HOW TO GET THERE: Kota Alliance is located in the Sugar Hill neighborhood, at 43 St Nicholas Place near 152nd St. between the A/B/C/D 145th Station and C 155th Station, along the M3 bus line. Parking is very limited, with few street spots; the nearest paid lots are at 414 W 155th St and 457 W 150th St.

ACCESSIBILITY: Kota Alliance occupies a historic building, without wheelchair accessibility, with steps inside. (We are fundraising to fix this.) Steps up to the second floor are wide and have a railing for assistance.

PHOTOGRAPHY: By participating in the program, you agree to be photographed for possible use in Kota promotional materials.

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Host or Publisher Kota Alliance and Reciprocity Foundation