This episode features poet Dr. Tara Betts, originally live-streamed on October 22, 2022. During the episode we chatted about her newest poetry collection, Refuse to Disappear, which was released in July of 2022.
Refuse to Disappear is a declaration that there are some people who resist by merely existing. In these poems, Tara Betts renders celebrations and tributes to Black women, but also pieces together an anthem that we have survived so much, even if the world pretends to be blind. These poems are a bound collection of love letters to history, music, and people who are denied the chance to speak for themselves.
Dr. Tara Betts is the author of Refuse to Disappear, Break the Habit and Arc & Hue. In addition to her work as a teaching artist and mentor for young poets, she has taught at several universities, including Rutgers University, Northwestern University, University of Illinois-Chicago, and at Stateville Prison via the Prison + Neighborhood Arts Project. She is the Inaugural Poet for the People Practitioner Fellow at University of Chicago. Betts serves as Poetry Editor at The Langston Hughes Review and is founder of the nonprofit organization The Whirlwind Learning Center on Chicago’s South Side.
This episode was presented in collaboration with Levee Break Lit. Special thanks to Lisa Pegram and her company for hooking us up with Tara and for your ongoing support of Black Writers Read.
Find Tara on Instagram: @tarabettschitown
