Frederick-Douglass Knowles II is a poet, educator and activist involved in community education. He is the inaugural Poet Laureate for the City of Hartford. His collection of poetry, BlackRoseCity was featured at the 2018 Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP). His works have been featured in the Connecticut River Review; Sinkhole Magazine; Poems on the Road to Peace: A Collective Tribute to Dr. King Volume 2 by Yale University Press; Lefoko magazine, and Fingernails Across the Chalkboard: Poetry and Prose on HIV/AIDS from the Black Diaspora by Third World Press. His poem “Mason Freeman Cuts Jenkins Down,” has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. His sonnet "Sunday School in the 90's (the way I understood it)" won the 2019 Nutmeg Poetry Award. Frederick-Douglass is an Associate Professor of English at Three Rivers Community College.
#BeatLit
Imagine a young poetic voice that is powerful, yet fearful. It fears that no one wants to hear about its innermost vulnerabilities due to a cultural absence of empathy. Or a powerful young voice that is fully aware of its magnitude, but unaware of how to articulate its experience utilizing literary techniques designed to amplify its story. Now imagine those same voices expressing themselves to the heartfelt rhythm of #BeatLit.
Mission:
#BeatLit illustrates an interactive, creative writing campaign designed to amalgamate the literary and performing art of poetry. #BeatLit combines the element of active reading with generative creative writing exercises to compose literary and/or performance poetry in order to improve the competency and confidence of aspiring writers.
Vision:
#BeatLit establishes working relationships with local schools, libraries, community organizations and institutions, as well as, artistic venues throughout Greater Hartford to encourage young writers to achieve their literary dreams.
Tour Dates
September 1st Reading. Trinity College Block Party. 6pm. Hartford, CT.
September 9 Reading. City Council Meeting. 7pm. Hartford, CT.
September 20 Reading. UCONN Barnes & Noble 2nd Annual Books on Pratt Book Fair. 11am. Pratt Street. Hartford, CT
September 23 Reading. Poetic Vibes. 8pm. Troy Kitchen. Albany, NY.
September 27 Reading. Guilford Performing Arts Festival. 2pm. Breakwater Books. Guilford, CT.
October 5 Reading. Connecticut Literary Festival. 10am-6pm. Real Artways. Hartford, CT
October 16 Host. 6th Annual Men Against Domestic Violence Art Expression (MADV). 6pm. Three Rivers Community College. Norwich, CT.
November 21 Reading. Wintonbury Poetry Series. 7pm. Wintonbury Branch Library. Bloomfield, CT
Links
Commencement Speaker: Three Rivers Community College 54th Commencement Ceremony:The Day Newspaper: https://www.theday.com/article/20190522/NWS01/190529788?fbclid=IwAR0WwtYrjyrrDxBQzVBFrkH7XTVhMGZa0jwnM484nTtuUkfRrCtN7mku0zs
Commencement Speaker: Three Rivers Community College 54th Commencement Ceremony:Norwich Bulletin Newspaper: https://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/20190522/three-rivers-grads-urged-to-cultivate-your-community
2019 Nutmeg Poetry Award Winner: "Sunday School in the 90's"
Three Rivers Community College 2018-2019 Commencement Speaker:
Poem: "Emerie Enters Her Grandmother's Garden"
Article: Who Is Frederick-Douglass Knowles II, Hartford's First Poet Laureate?"
Hartford Courant.
Article: Hartford Poet Laureate. New London Day:
Article: Hartford Poet Laureate. Hartford Courant:
Presentations
Featured Speaker: Connecticut College Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) Lecture Series. "Journey in the Academy and Research." September 11, 2017 7pm.
Featured Speaker: Nichols College First Year Experience Hip-Hop Forum. The Sociopolitical Power of Hip-Hop: Tupac Shakur 'Martyr or Menace?' September 26, 2017.
Host: 4th Annual Men Against Domestic Violence (MADV) Artistic Expression. Three Rivers Community College. BlackRoseCity (Norwich), CT. October 24, 2017.
Presenter: Wheelock College 2016 National Race Amity Conference: The Impact of Law and Finance on The Other Tradition. "The Sociopolitical Power of Hip-Hop: Tupac Shakur Martyr or Menace?' (November 2016).
Presenter: 51st Annual Two Year College English Association Northeast (TYCA) Conference: Making Connections: Creative Collaborations for Critical Literacy. "The Sociopolitical Power of Hip-Hop: Tupac Shakur 'Martyr or Menace?' (October 2016).
Teaching Fellow: Cambridge Writer's Workshop 2016 Summer Writers' Workshop Summer in Granada (Spain) Writing Retreat. "The Sociopolitical Power of Hip-Hop: Tupac Shakur 'Martyr or Menace?' (August 2016).
Presenter: Three Rivers Community College: Learning Across The Board (LAB) Lecture Series. "The Sociopolitical Power of Hip- Hop: Tupac Shakur 'Martyr or Menace?' (April 2016).
Session Chair: 2016 National Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC). "The Archival Turn in Rhetoric and Composition: Avenues for Research and Methodology" (March 2016).
Presenter: 10th Annual Trinity College International Hip Hop Festival. "The Sociopolitical Power of Hip-Hop: Tupac Shakur 'Martyr or Menace?' (April 2015).
Presenter: Connecticut College (host) Black Man Can Institute (TBMC): “Social Responsibility of Individual Behavior. (November 2014).
Presenter: 49th Annual Conference of the Two-Year English Association Northeast Region (TYCA) Conference. "Creative Space: Innovation in Building Conversations with an Adjunct Community" (October 2014).
Contact
Phone: 860.222.5524 (c)
860.215.9444 (0)
Email: