Who We Are
We are a southern-based vanguard who builds Harlem Renaissance-style spaces in the contemporary South.
Our core purpose is to cultivate and inspire kinship between poets of color from all spoken and written traditions, thus creating a tribe with a mutual focus of poetics and craft-building.
HISTORY
The Watering Hole was created as a Facebook Group by fellows of the Cave Canem South Workshops from 2009 and 2010.
We draw much of our inspiration from those three-day workshops, which were hosted by Dr. Kwame Dawes, editor of Prairie Schooner. The sessions were led by Nikky Finney, a National Book Award winner; Patricia Smith, who was inducted into the International Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent, and Frank X Walker, co-founder of the Affrilachian Poets.
We hosted our first retreat in 2013, launched the organization in 2014, and became a nonprofit in 2015.
CO-FOUNDERS
Monifa Lemons
Co-Founder
Also recognized as SelahthePoet, Monifa Lemons began in Columbia, SC in the late 90s. Both Spoken Word Artist and Host at various venues since 1998, Monifa is committed to nurturing the journey of artists from all disciplines. She also facilitates workshops on writing and intentional creation. Her work can be found in Sinister Wisdom ( The African American Review (July 2016) and African Voices (Winter/Spring 16/17). She is currently writing plays and non-fiction projects while cultivating short stories for her first manuscript.
Candace G. Wiley
Co-Founder
Candace G. Wiley was born in S.C., graduated with her B.A. from Bowie State University, an H.B.C.U. in M.D., her M.A. from Clemson University, and her M.F.A. at the University of South Carolina as a James Dickey Fellow. She is co-founding director of The Watering Hole, a nonprofit that creates Harlem Renaissance-style spaces in the contemporary South, and she often writes in the mode of Afrofuturism, covering topics from black aliens, to mutants, to mermaids. She is a Vermont Studio Center Fellow, Lighthouse Works Center Fellow, Fine Arts Work Center Fellow, Callaloo Fellow and former Fulbright Fellow to San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia, a town that was founded by West Africans who had escaped from Cartagena slavery. (The people have their own language and customs that trace back to the Bantu and Kikongo in West Africa.) She is currently complete the Tulsa Artist Fellowship and is now living, writing, and running The Watering Hole from Tulsa, O.K.
TEAM
Board of Directors
Candace G. Wiley, Executive Director
Dasan Ahanu, Chair
Junious Ward, Vice Chair
Angelo “Eyeambic” T. Geter, Secretary
Joyce Rose Harris, Board Member
Sumita Chakraborty, Board Member
Julian Randall, Board Member
STAFF
Submission Readers
A rotating roster of TWH Fellows and Graduate Fellows reads all submissions to our Retreats, Drinking Gourd Essay Series, and Manuscript Coaching Fellowship.
Fellows and Graduate Fellows
(Alafia) Nicole Sessions
Adeyinka Ogunlegan
Aerik Francis
afaq
Ajanae Dawkins
Akinfe Fatou
Akosua Afiriyie-Hwedie
Alexa Patrick
Alexandria Collins
Alison Rollins
Amari Tia Davis
Amber Flame
Amena Brown (Sol Grafitti)
Amina Iro
Amoja Sumler
Amoni Thompson
Anna Stone
Anais Booker
Angel Dye
Angela Brown
Angelique Palmer
Angie Garcia
Anna Stone
Anthony Ragler
April Wright
April Lim
April Gibson
Ariana Thomas
Ariana Francesca Thomas
Ashia Ajani
Ashley Harris
Ashley Beene
Asia Bryant-Wilkerson
Asiah Mae
Asiah Thomas
Asma Olajuwon
Aurielle Lucier
Ayling Dominguez
Azia Armstead
Bernardo Wade
blkcowrie
Breana Miller
Brittany Rogers
Brittany Porcher
C.R. Glasgow
Cai Shirley
Cai Rodrigeuz-Sherley
Calvin Walds
Cameron Mitchell
Cameron Brooks
Cameron Awkward-Rich
Camisha Jones
Candace Howze
Carlynn Newhouse
Carmen Barefield
Carmin Wong
Catalina Rios-Hernandez
Catalina Rios
Catherine Ntube
Chantel Massey
Charleen McClure
Chasity Gunn
Chauncey Beaty
Ching-In Chen
Christine Jean Blain
Christopher Greggs
Clara Tyus
Clemonce Heard
Constance Collier-Mercado
Courtney Gambrell
Crystal Irby
Cynthia Sharpe
D’mani Thomas
DaMaris B. Hill
Dani (Danielle) D’Oliveira
Daniella Toosie-Watson
Danielle Williams
Daniel Summerhill
Darlene Scott
Darrian Thomas
Daschielle Louis
Dāshaun Washington
David Gaines
de’Angelo Dia
DeeSoul Carson
Denise Chapman
Denise Ervin
Destiny Nicholson
Deyon Williams
Divya Chhabra
Donald Paris
Donnie Moreland
Dustin Pearson
Ebony Chinn
Edra “EJ” Stephens
Edward Mabrey
Edythe Rodriguez
EJ Stephens
El Williams III
Elise Hernandez
EJ Stephens
Elizabeth Mudenyo
Elontra Hall
Emanuelee Bean
Emmanuel Smith
Ephraim Nehemiah
Er Ni Kaya Arnoux
Eric Thompson
Esperanza Arreola
February Spikener
Felecia Stokes
Fernanda Snellings
Frances Nan
Francine Tamakloe
Gabby Aboki
Gabriel Ramirez
Gabrielle Aboki
Geoffrey Anderson
George Abraham
Gia Shakur
Goddess X
Grace Ocasio
Grace Liew
Hakim Bellamy
Haley Carr (Shy)
Hana Meron
Hakim Bellamy
Hazem Fahmy
Hilda Davis
Hiwot Adilaw
Honey Sanaa
Honora Ankong
India Hackle
Isabelle Saldaña
Itiola Jones
J.C. Rodriguez
Jada Bryan
Jae Nichelle
Jamal Parker
Jamal Jones
James Daniels
Janel Cloyd
Jasmine Swanagan
Jasmine Combs
Jason Harris
Jassmine Parks
Jay Ward
Jaz Sufi
Jemilea Wisdom-Baako
Jenna Carter-Johnson
Jennifer Shannon
Jennifer Bartell
Jo Reyes-Boitel
Joan Leslie
Jody Chan
Joel Diaz
Joelle Edouard
John Blake
Johnny Lee Chapman
Jon Jon Moore Palacios
Jordan Bailey
Jordan Honeyblue
Joshua Myers
Jovan O’Neal
Joy Priest
Joyce Rose-Harris
Julian Randall
Junious Ward
KB Brookins
Kahlil Hernandez
Kamakshi Duvvuru
Kat Noel
Kavindu Jointe
Keesean Moore
Kenneth Carroll
Khadijah Ali-Coleman
Khalisa Rae
Khalisa Thompson
Khari Dawson
Kiki Nicole
Kim Marshall
Kimberly Reyes
Kindall Gant
Kirwyn Sutherland
Kita Marshall
L. Renée
Lauren Bullock
Lauren Parker
LeChell Honorat
Lee Chapman
Len Lawson
Leslie McIntosh
Linda Cue
Lindsay Young
Lisbeth White
Lolita Stewart-White
Lorraine Currelley
Lupita Eyde-Tucker
lydia cortes
Lydia Abedeen
M’Bilia Meekers
Madison El Maze Johnson
Maiya Pittman
Malcolm Tariq
Malcolm Avery Robinson
Malvika Jolly
Marcus Jamison
Maria Picone
Mariah Monsanto
Mariana Goycoechea
Marlanda Dekine
Marvin Campbell
Matthew Taylor
Maurice Norman
Maurisa Li-A-Ping
Maya Williams
Maya Marshall
Maya Lewis
Maya James
Maya Garcia Fisher
McKendy Fils-Aime
Mia Willis
Michele Reese
Michele Evans
Michelle Dodd
Miona Short
Monica Kim
Nadia Alexis
Nancy Huang
Nefertiti Asanti
Nia KB Brookins
Nicholas Nichols
Nicholas Alexander
Nicole Moliere
Nicole Homer
Nikki Gray
Nkosi Nkululeko
Noel Quiñones
Noor Ibn Najam
Penda Smith
Porscha Simmons
Portia Bartley
Praise Osawaru
Robert Gibson
Raina León
Robert Randolph
Robert Gibson
Rocio Franco
Rodrick Minor
Romaine Washington
Roman Johnson
Roscoe Burnems
Sadia Hassan
Safiya Washington
Saida Agostini
Sainey Ceesay
Samantha Stevens
Samantha Major
Samantha Lorient
Samuel Tate
Sanam Sheriff
Sasha Warner-Berry
Saul Hernandez
Sequoia Maner
Sha’Condria Sibley
Shakeema Smalls
Shalewa Mackall
Shalini Singh
Shameka Cunningham
Shauna Morgan Kirlew
Shavontae Patrick
Sheila Stowell
Shirley Jones-Luke
Sojourner Ahebee
Solange Neema
Sonya Smith
Stephanie Suell
Stephen Smith
Tamara J. Madison
Tammaka Staley
Tangela Mitchell
Tanisha Hall
Tariq Luthun
Tariq Thompson
Tariq Luthun
Tavis Brunson
Taylor Manigoult
Teri Vela
Teri Elam
Tianna Bratcher
Tiffany Mi
Timothy Moore
Timothy Edwaujonte
Timothy Prolific Jones
Tolu Agbelusi
ToVonnia Lewis
Tracy Jones
Tresa Green
Tunya Gray
Tyquan Morton
Usman Hameedi
Victoria Walls
Victoria Ford
Wandeka Gayle
Warren Longmire
Whitney French
William Evans
Willie Kinard III
Xavia Miles
Yazud Brito-Milian
Yeva Johnson
Yinka Olu
Yuki Jackson
Yvette R. Murray