2018 Retreat

Remica Bingham-Risher

Remica Bingham-Risher, a native of Phoenix, Arizona, is a Cave Canem fellow and Affrilachian Poet. Among other journals, her work has been published in The Writer’s Chronicle, New Letters, Callaloo and Essence. She is the author of Conversion (Lotus, 2006) winner of the Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award, What We Ask of Flesh (Etruscan, 2013) shortlisted for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and Starlight & Error (Diode, 2017) winner of the Diode Editions Book Award. She is the Director of Quality Enhancement Plan Initiatives at Old Dominion University. She resides in Norfolk, VA with her husband and children.

Kimbi the Goddess

Kimbi the Goddess delivers Spoken Word by utilizing elements of Hip-Hop, Soul music and poetry. Served as co-artistic director, award winning co-host  and name mastermind of the Say What?! Open Mic and Slam series. Kimbi has hosted and performed over 300 events in Greenville, SC. A staple of the Greenville, South Carolina community, Kimbi’s performances have included TedX Talk (Furman University), opening for R&B sensation Trey Songz, the 3rd annual Millican Festival, and the winner of over 10 poetry slams including the Queen of the South Slam (2009). Kimbi has shared her poetry locally with the Say What?! Slam team, regionally at several Southern Fried Poetry Festivals, nationally at the National Poetry Slam (Madison, WI), and guest performance artist at colleges/universities . Kimbi was awarded for her contributions in the world of poetry at the 1st annual Poetry Gala in Columbus, GA. Kimbi co-organized and hosted the 22nd Annual Southern Fried Poetry Slam Festival held in Greenville, SC (2014).  For booking and more information contact: kimbithegoddess@hotmail.com

Phillip B. Williams

Phillip B. Williams is a Chicago, IL native and author of Thief in the Interior, winner of the 2017 Kate Tufts Discovery Award and a 2017 Lambda Literary award. He received a 2017 Whiting Award and 2013 Ruth Lilly Fellowship. Phillip is the co-editor in chief of the online journal Vinyl and currently teaches at Bennington College.

Chen Chen

Chen Chen is the author of When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities, which won the A. Poulin, Jr. Poetry Prize, the GLCA New Writers Award, and the Thom Gunn Award for Gay Poetry. The collection was also longlisted for the National Book Award and named a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry. His work has appeared in many publications, including Poetry, Tin House, Poem-a-Day, The Best American Poetry, and The Best American Nonrequired Reading. He holds an MFA from Syracuse University and is pursuing a PhD through Texas Tech University. He is the 2018-2020 Jacob Ziskind Poet-in-Residence at Brandeis University.

Francine J Harris

Francine J Harris is the author of play dead, winner of the 2017 Lambda Literary and Audre Lorde Awards and was a finalist for the 2017 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award. Her first collection, allegiance, was finalist for the 2013 Kate Tufts Discovery and PEN Open Book Awards. Originally from Detroit, she has received fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, is a Cave Canem poet, and is currently the 2018/2019 Rona Jaffe Fellow at the Cullman Center at the New York Public Library.