The Bridge Series

The Bridges Series, sponsored by Charlotte's inaugural Poet Laureate, aims to help poets who are looking to transition from the oral tradition of spoken word poetry to the world of publishing, or vice versa. Tonight's event, Creative Pathways for the Spoken Word Poet, will help poets explore different possibilities for their craft and career. Emmy award winning poet Bluz will guide us through the many ways poets can contribute to the artistic landscape.

Meet the Host:
Junious 'Jay' Ward is a poet and teaching artist from Charlotte, NC. He is a National Slam champion (2018), an Individual World Poetry Slam champion (2019), author of Sing Me A Lesser Wound (Bull City Press 2020) and Composition (Button Poetry 2023). Jay currently serves as Charlotte's inaugural Poet Laureate and is a 2023 Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow. Ward has attended Breadloaf Writers Conference, Callaloo, The Watering Hole and Tin House Winter Workshop. His work can be found in Columbia Journal, Four Way Review, DIAGRAM, Diode Poetry Journal and elsewhere.