Chattanooga Welcomes Poets At The Plug Poetry Event

The Plug Poetry Event returns to the city on Feb. 22 with a free poetry workshop and readings from José Olivarez and local poets.

Award-winning poets from our community and beyond will be descending on the city on Feb. 22 for The Plug Poetry Event.

The Plug Poetry Event will take place on the 5th floor of the Edney Innovation Center with the first part of the event being a free poetry workshop from 12-2 p.m. This will be followed by evening readings from local poets Moll King and Tiffany Herron and keynote speaker José Olivarez from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tickets are available here.

José Olivarez is the author of the book of poems Citizen Illegal. He was also a finalist for the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award in 2020 and was awarded the first annual Author And Artist In Justice Award from the Phillips Brooks House Association. He currently is co-editing The BreakBeat Poets Vol. 4: LatiNEXT and is the co-host of the poetry podcast. Olivarez is the son of Mexican immigrants and heavily advocates for diversity and inclusiveness in the poetry world.

Chattanooga poets Moll King and Tiffany Herron will be opening the evening readings with sets of original material.

Local poet Christian Collier is hosting the event and has high expectations for the events. The free poetry workshop is an especially exciting opportunity for amateur local poets as it will offer a safe and informal space for them to be given feedback on their work. Collier hopes that the readings will be well received by the community as this will be the first time a LatinX poet has spoken at an event in the city.

“What makes The Plug unique is that it’s not just a poetry show,” Collier said. “This has a lasting impact. It is a way to cultivate knowledge and skill. This is an opportunity for people to interact with poets from various backgrounds and different perspectives in a unique way.”