On behalf of 1455, it’s my pleasure and honor to partner with The Anacostia Swim Club, presenting events in January, February, and March. Our first, a reading from and discussion about the wonderful anthology Written in Arlington, took place yesterday, and video of the event can be watched below (followed by bios of the various poets).
What is The Anacostia Swim Club? I’m glad you asked. As people may or may not know, it’s currently both unsafe and illegal to swim in the Anacostia River. A social club serving DC area residents, members enjoy arts and culture events, along with service to the community along the Anacostia river corridor. To learn more, visit anacostiaswimclub.com.
Written in Arlington showcases contemporary poets from and poetry about Arlington, VA. The anthology contains the work of eighty-seven poets and translators originally written in four languages (Hindi, Russian, Spanish, and English). The poets whose work appears in Written in Arlington range from nationally known page poets to spoken word artists to high school students just beginning to write and perform, as well as a few “tourist” poets who have written about Arlington while passing through. (Purchase a copy here.)
Katherine E. Young is the author of Woman Drinking Absinthe and Day of the Border Guards and editor of Written in Arlington. She is the translator of numerous Russophone poets; she was a 2017 National Endowment for the Arts translation fellow. She served as the inaugural poet laureate for Arlington, Virginia. Learn more at katherine-young-poet.com.
Jessica Claire Haney is an Arlington-based writer, editor and tutor. Her work has appeared in Beltway Poetry Review, Porcupine Literary, Court Green, Earth’s Daughters, Scary Mommy, The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, two Grace and Gravity anthologies from Paycock Press, and is forthcoming in Gargoyle. Learn more at JessicaClaireHaney.com.
Tod Ibrahim is Executive Vice President of the American Society of Nephrology. A two-time recipient of George Washington University’s Jenny McKean Moore scholarship for poets, Tod has a master’s degree in liberal arts from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Maryland-College Park.
Brian Donnell James is the 2020 United Nations Food and Agriculture World Food Day poetry first prize winner. He is also a 2020 National Poetry Writing Month contest winner. He is a poet, writer, and public speaker who has been published in Africa, Europe, and throughout the United States.
Susan Notar has flown on helicopters in body armor in Iraq for the U.S. State Department and makes a mean beurre blanc sauce. Her work has appeared in a number of publications including Gyroscope,Written in Arlington,Penumbra,Joys of the Table, and American Literary.
Hanan Seid‘s home is in Arlington but her heart is at Hogwarts. Hanan is an activist in training, an artist, a future journalist, and a spoken word artist. She’s a published poet with two books out, a poetess and a Catalyst. She is the founder of Mic-Less Night series at Studio Pause, which gives the community a space to share their story. She is an immigrant, Black, Muslim woman and uses poetry and art to express her story/perspective.
Sally Zakariya’s poetry has appeared in some 75 print and online journals and been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net. Her publications include Muslim Wife, The Unknowable Mystery of Other People, Personal Astronomy, and When You Escape. The editor of a poetry anthology, Joys of the Table, Zakariya blogs at butdoesitrhyme.com.
