*Update: Since this recording, our featured poet is celebrating their fuller self as Amasa. The name used during the recording is a reflection of the time of the recording, but the work shared is still incredibly valid and timely.*
In our closing episode of #PrideMonth - Our host Dwayne Lawson-Brown is joined by Arlington County Youth Poet Laureate, Amasa Maleski!
Amasa Maleski is a writer, musician, and filmmaker attending high school in Arlington, VA. Their first spoken word performance was at an open mic for their middle school; since then, they have returned to this school to lead poetry workshops. In 2019, they qualified at the countywide level for the Optimist International Oratorical contest. They are an alumna of the University of Virginia’s Young Writers’ Workshop, and their poetry was recognized at the regional level of the 2021 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Currently, they are serving as Arlington’s Youth Poet Laureate of 2021. They was also a member of the 2020 DC Youth Slam Team.
Dwayne and Amasa discuss identity, the joy of the DC Youth Poetry Slam Team, and the power of youth voices leading our present and future.
Follow Amasa on Instagram: @Amasa.Maleski
Follow Dwayne on various social media platforms: @Crochetkingpin
This podcast is made possible with support of the DC Commission of the Arts and Humanities.
