Woodstock Poetry Society Reading with Christopher Heffernan and Jerrice J. Baptiste
Poets Christopher Heffernan and Jerrice J. Baptiste will be featured followed by an open mic when the Woodstock Poetry Society meets in-person at the Woodstock Library and virtually via Zoom (and streamed live on Facebook: www.facebook.com/
Note: This month WPS is meeting at 1pm. WPS meetings are (usually) held the 2nd Saturday of every month at 2pm.
To attend virtually: contact phillip@woodstockpoetry.com to receive Zoom info. If attending, please indicate if you would like to be on the open mike. Thank you.
The readings will be hosted by Woodstock area poet Phillip X Levine. All meetings are free, open to the public, and include an open mic.
Christopher Heffernan was born in the Hudson Valley and traveled throughout the country having spent much time living in New Orleans and the Northeast. He has had poetry and fiction published in magazines and journals around the United States such as The Believer, The Writer’s Journal, Pacific Coast Journal, Cottonwood, Louisiana Literature, the Sierra Nevada Review, 34th Parallel, the Madison Review, Whisky Island, the South Dakota Review and the Cape Cod Poetry Review, as well as others. He has two books of poetry, Rag Water, published by Fly By Night Press, and most recently (laughter) published by Fomite Press. He lives and works in New York.
Jerrice J. Baptiste is a poet born in Haiti. She has educated different ages through her seven multicultural children’s books and also her full-length poetry book Wintry Mix. As an author she has presented her books in hundreds of public & private schools and various other venues. Her new poetry book is titled Coral in The Diaspora published by Abode Press on August 1st 2024.
Jerrice is also the founder of Authentic Poetry workshops in The Hudson Valley, NY for the past 20 years. The Poet-in- Residence in Prattsville, NY for the past three years. She’s also been a returning teaching artist/poet at The Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY.
A recipient of a Grant from Poets & Writers for April 2024 for Hunter, NY; a CREATE Grant recipient for poetry performance & teaching in Prattsville, NY in 2022, and of a residency for the Women’s Leadership Program at The Omega Institute in 2019.
She’s a Pushcart Prize nominee for 2024 and also a Best of The Net nominee by Blue Stem of Eastern Illinois University for 2022. This year, she’s one of the three judges for The Michael Perkins Poetry Prize for 2024.
Jerrice has been the featured poet on Planet Poet: Words in Space in Roxbury, NY, The Woodstock Poetry Society, and The International Women’s Writing Guild.
Her poetry has been published and forthcoming in Urthona: Buddhism & Art, Pensive: A Global Journal of Spirituality & The Arts, Artemis Journal, The Yale Review, Mantis, Poetica Review, The Minetta Review, The Banyan Review, Kosmos Journal, The Caribbean Writer, Big Wing Review, Chronogram & hundreds of others.
Jerrice enjoys doing humanitarian work for others in Haiti. Her poetry and collaborative songwriting are featured on the Grammy nominated album, Many Hands: Family Music for Haiti.
