a poetry garden

Join Black poets and gardeners as they discuss their creative and historic connections to the gardens in our communities.

In 2024, featured discussions centered on the Trinidad, Anacostia, and Mount Pleasant neighborhoods. In 2025, the series begins in Columbia Heights with the DC Preservation League.

About the series

2024—Present / 1 Season 3 events

Each guest speaker lives and creates work within ten miles of the event’s location. To increase the collective exchange between the speakers and our beloved community, a seed discussion precedes the presentations. A seed discussion, developed by executive producer María Fernanda, is a brief ten-minute conversation open to the audience.

 

2024 Season

  • gardener talk + poetry reading

    a poetry garden     aims to honor DC’s history, gardening communities, and poetry traditions by featuring Black gardeners and poets.

    Enjoy an evening with DC award-winning poet María Fernanda to discuss gardens, creative practices, and more!

    This event is open to all and is preceded by a seed discussion, which is a brief ten-minute open to audience members to share their own experiences with gardens, history, or poetry. Audience members are not required to participate. The seed discussion was developed by María Fernanda to deepen a collective exchange.

    RSVP at rewilddc.com/products/a-poetry-garden-with-angelica-ames-and-maria-fernanda

    This event is presented by Rewild and is ticketed at a sliding scale. To request a reasonable accommodation for this program, please contact (202) 758-3251 or danielle@rewilddc.com.

    AGE GROUPS: Adults | Senior |Teens | Youth with Adults

    THEMES: Gardening | Writing | Health | Food | Author Talk | History | 

  • District of Columbia Public Library

    A poetry recital + seed discussion. Due to inclement weather this program will be held inside at the Mt. Pleasant Library.

    Enjoy a sunny evening outside while listening to the work of D.C. poet Tatiana Figueroa Ramirez and gardener Tamara M. Ashton. Moderated by award-winning poet María Fernanda (she/her/hers), artists will speak about the literal and figurative gardens that inspire them and their writing practice. Preceding their presentations, there will be a seed discussion and a brief ten-minute conversation open to the audience. 

    This event is sponsored by the Mt. Pleasant Library Friends and is intended for ages 13+. Due to inclement weather this program will be held inside at the Mt. Pleasant Library.

    For more information, call (202) 671-3121 or email mtpleasantlibrary@dc.gov. To request a reasonable accommodation for this program, please contact DCPLaccess@dc.gov or call (202) 727-2142.  

    AGE GROUP: | Seniors | Adults | 13 - 19 Years Old (Teens) |

    EVENT TYPE: | Writing | Lecture | Health | Discover Summer | Author Talk | Age-Friendly DC |

    https://dclibrary.libnet.info/event/10899514

  • Anacostia Arts Center

    The debut of a poetry garden featuring Crochet Kingpin — new in-person literary series. Listen to poets share their work, preceded by a seed discussion between the poet and the moderator award-winning poet María Fernanda. Several future events will include a gardener,🪴thank you to @SwapDC for inspiring this.

    Discussion will include literal and figurative gardens in our lives and how the concept of gardening contributes to our writing practice, lifestyle, or both. A seed discussion, developed by poet María Fernanda, is a conversation taking place before the poetry reading to learn more about the artists and their work.

    If unable to join, please come through for our next poetry garden on June 5 at District of Columbia Public Library at 6:00pm in Mount Pleasant.

Get to know our poets and gardeners:

Tamara M. Ashton

gardener

Tamara M. Ashton, a second-generation Washingtonian with ancestral roots in Alabama, Virginia, and Panama. With a rich background spanning diverse roles in education, wellness, and community engagement, Tamara brings a holistic perspective to her work, nurturing healthy relationships between people and the environment. As a community engagement specialist, she has spearheaded projects promoting cultural preservation and vibrancy in the city. She transitioned to food and land stewardship roles and embodied her dedication to sustainable practices and community engagement by working in local non-profit education and wellness programming.As a wellness and food educator, Tamara shared her expertise in health and nutrition, advocating for conscious consumerism and food access. Tamara's journey reflects her unwavering dedication to fostering connections between people, food, and the land, with a focus on cultural preservation, healing, and community empowerment. Through her varied experiences and roles, she continues to advocate for a future where all individuals have access to healthy food, sustainable practices, and thriving communities.

Dwayne Lawson-Brown

poet

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Dwayne Lawson-Brown, aka the Crochet Kingpin, is an author, playwright, and arts administrator for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Dwayne has performed and hosted at many venues including The Kennedy Center, Woolly Mammoth Theater, Keegan Theater, The Strathmore, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and Spit Dat DC. Crowned 2021 DMV "Male Poet Of The Year" - ultimately, Dwayne's goal is to invite folks to feel again.- ultimately, Dwayne's goal is to invite folks to feel again.

In addition to varying poetic accomplishments, Dwayne is a Helen Hayes nominated playwright, competitive karaoke champion, and CEO of Crochet Kingpin Designs.

Dwayne vends:

Breaking The Blank - Poetry Book co-authored with Rebecca Bishophall. Work about raising families, the changing face of DC, identity, and breaking the mold. Published with Day Eight Publishing.

twenty:21 - Poetry Book. Composed of poetry from Dwayne at 17 and poetic responses from Dwayne at 37. Self-published.

Some Crochet Hats and Scarves made by Dwayne for Crochet Kingpin Designs.

Tatiana Figueroa Ramírez

poet

Tatiana Figueroa Ramírez currently performs, facilitates workshops, and hosts events in the DC area, having previously done so across the United States and the Dominican Republic at venues including The Kennedy Center and New York University. Her work has been featured in MSNBC’s “Leguizamo Does America” and The Acentos Review, among other publications. Tatiana is the author of Coconut Curls y Café con Leche (2019) and Despojo (2020).