KEYNOTE ADDRESS 2021
Truth Thomas "Vaccinate Against Fear"
Truth Thomas is a singer-songwriter and poet born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and raised in Washington, DC (the Capitol recording artist formerly known as Glenn Edward Thomas). He is the founder of Cherry Castle Publishing and studied creative writing at Howard University under Dr. Tony Medina. Thomas earned his MFA in poetry at New England College. His collections include Party of Black, A Day of Presence, Bottle of Life, Speak Water, winner of the 2013 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work in Poetry, and My TV is Not the Boss of Me, (a children's book illustrated by Cory Thomas and 2014 Jessie Redmon Fauset Book Award Finalist). The "Skinny" poetry form is credited to Thomas' creation. A former writer-in-residence for the Howard County Poetry and Literature Society (HoCoPoLitSo), his poems have appeared in over 150 publications, including The 100 Best African American Poems (edited by Nikki Giovanni). He is editor-in-chief of The Skinny Poetry Journal, and co-editor of Tidal Basin Review. His forthcoming collection, Moon Jumps Over Stormy Monday, is slated for release in 2021. Read more about him here.
ALL SESSION SUMMARIES by TRACK
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Poet Truth Thomas will address the pandemic of fear that often afflicts writers and hopeful strategies to overcome this enduring "writing life" concern. If you fear publishing rejections or have ever been afraid that your skin color, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or political sensibilities were barriers to your literary success, this presentation is for you. Indeed, Thomas will offer practical steps to help writers social distance daily from the fever-grip of fear.
TRUTH THOMAS 
