Join us at March 2025's Free Verse, a PSNY initiative designed specifically by & for BIPOC creatives, with Ajibola Tolase!In this class, you will assume a persona who speaks to someone they long for but cannot reach with their voice. You will also assume the persona of someone who has caused pain and is trying to speak clearly about their intentions to someone who cannot hear them. These personas allow us to speak clearly and honestly about the truth of the situations we are writing about. I find that when we allow ourselves to speak clearly without fear, we are honest about the complexity of the human condition, and we create beautiful poetry that is true to the human experience. About the instructor: Ajibola Tolase is a Nigerian poet and essayist. He graduated from the creative writing MFA program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His chapbook, Koola Lobitos was published as a part of the New Generation African Poets Series edited by Kwame Dawes and Chris Abani in 2021. His writing has appeared in LitHub, New England Review, Prairie Schooner, Poetry, and elsewhere. He is a former Wallace Stegner fellow at Stanford University and has received a creative writing grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation. He is the 2023-2024 Olive B. O’Connor Fellow in Poetry at Colgate University. He is the winner of the 2024 Cave Canem Poetry Prize, and teaches at the University of South Florida. At The Poetry Society of New York, we believe that true creativity flourishes when all voices are heard, especially those that have been historically marginalized. Our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity isn't just a statement—it's woven into the fabric of everything we do. We aim to model this commitment for the entire arts industry, creating spaces where everyone, regardless of their background, feels seen, valued, and empowered.PSNY's Free Verse Workshops are a direct response to the social inequities that too often silence BIPOC and LGBTQ+ voices. These free monthly workshops offer two distinct, identity-centered spaces: one for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and one for LGBTQ+ creatives. Here, participants can connect, create, and explore their unique identities through poetry, in environments designed specifically for them.We recognize that these spaces are not just about creativity—they're about justice. By centering BIPOC and LGBTQ+ experiences, we’re working to dismantle the barriers that have long kept these voices on the margins. Each workshop concludes with a resource-sharing session, where participants can exchange literature, community events, and grants, building networks that extend beyond the workshop.As part of our unwavering commitment to equity, all attendees receive a 50% discount for our Weekly Virtual Workshops—because access to the arts should never be a privilege but a right.If you do not identify as BIPOC or LGBTQ+, we warmly invite you to explore other PSNY events.