It has been some time since Green last visited Catawba, and she is excited to return to campus to reconnect with the community. During her visit, she will also engage directly with students, visiting classes and leading creative writing workshops.
“Poetry is good medicine,” Green often shares—an idea that shines through in her work, teaching, and community engagement. Her presence on campus will offer students and guests alike the opportunity to experience firsthand her belief in poetry as a form of healing, connection, and empowerment.
Appointed in 2018 by Governor Roy Cooper, Green was praised as an artist who “brings a deep appreciation of our state’s diverse communities to her role as an ambassador of North Carolina literature. Jaki’s appointment is a wonderful new chapter in North Carolina’s rich literary history.”
Green has inspired readers and writers across generations through her commitment to amplifying diverse voices and celebrating the transformative power of words. She is a 2019 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow, 2014 North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame inductee, and 2003 recipient of the North Carolina Award for Literature, the state’s highest civilian honor for contributions in the arts and sciences.
A passionate advocate for youth and community storytelling, Green launched an initiative to appoint a high school poet laureate in every county in North Carolina soon after being named Poet Laureate. The National Youth Poet Laureate program has noted that she is the only state poet laureate in the nation to pursue such a personal statewide initiative. Green is currently partnering with Davidson College to continue expanding this visionary effort—and she expressed that it would be especially meaningful to see youth poet laureates emerge from Rowan County.
Green recently retired from teaching Documentary Poetry at Duke University’s Center for Documentary Studies. Her poetry collections include Dead on Arrival, Conjure Blues, singing a tree into dance, breath of the song, Feeding the Light, and i want to undie you, the latter also published in a bilingual English/Italian edition. In 2020, she released her first LP poetry album, The River Speaks of Thirst, produced by Soul City Sounds and Clearly Records.
Beyond her literary achievements, Green is the founder of SistaWRITE, which provides transformative writing retreats for women across the U.S. and abroad, including destinations such as Sedona, Ocracoke, Northern Morocco, and Ireland.
“Jaki Shelton Green’s visit is a celebration of art, voice, and purpose,” said Dr. Kerstin Rudolph, Associate Professor of English and English Department Chair at Catawba. “Her words have long inspired reflection and unity—values that deeply resonate with our community and our commitment to learning, creativity, and service.”
The event continues Catawba College’s tradition of hosting acclaimed writers and artists whose work broadens understanding and inspires connection. A book signing will immediately follow the reading.
Event Details
What: Public Reading and Book Signing with Jaki Shelton Green
When: Wednesday, November 6 at 11 am
Where: Keppel Auditorium, Robertson College–Community Center, Catawba College
Admission: Free and open to the public
For more information, visit www.catawba.edu/events.
