Mahogany Jones Writer-in-Residence Even before COVID-19, the spaces that InsideOut and Citywide Poets carves out of time are magical. With our experiences and creativity we get to shape alternate worlds where we are beautiful and powerful and unashamed and far from average. Recording and performance…
Read More
Catharine Batsios Writer-in-Residence I want every one of my students to have the weekly reminder that their thoughts are rich, robust, & their brains are unique, & always good enough. Catharine, a poet originally from Flint, Michigan, is a Writer-in-Residence and Citywide Poets Site Leader…
Read More
There are a lot of reasons for students to tune out or seem uninspired. The real key is for me, the teaching artist, to be a lighthouse, steady in shining the light for them to come to shore if they can. Rey is a writer…
Read More
From Zoom classes to Facebook live streams and InsideOut At Home lessons, InsideOut’s programs have looked a little different this year for both students and teaching artists. But despite all of the new challenges of virtual teaching, our Writers-in-Residence have made the most of this…
Read More
InsideOut Alum Hajjar Baban wins $90,000 Soros Fellowship for New Americans to continue pursuing her art. We couldn’t be more proud. Check out Hajjar’s InsideOut journey in our Student Stories.
This year marks the first step of InsideOut’s next 25-year journey. We’ve celebrated this occasion by lifting up five stories from five different eras of our history, from our inaugural class in the mid-90s to our most recent graduates. The stories (which you can explore…
Read More
2015-2020: Aja “Citywide Poets brought me to the realization that everybody is individual and important.” Before I started Citywide Poets, I wasn’t doing poetry in secret, but I did feel like an underground artist. It started off as a class assignment back in sixth grade and…
Read More
2010-2015: Candance Candance performing her original work at InsideOut’s inaugural Share the Light benefit. (2017) Why I Write by Candance I write when people say I taIk too much. I write to set the world aflame. I write to speak for those who are afraid…
Read More
2005-2010: Justin Rogers “Citywide Poets was pivotal in my social and professional life because it offered me a sense of direction and hope.” When Writer-in-Residence Nandi Comer found me in 12th grade of high school, I was a very shy student trying to navigate where…
Read More