Frederick Douglass Knowles II
Hartford Poet Laureate

​

 

 

Frederick-Douglass Knowles II is an Educator and Activist fervent in achieving community augmentation through literary arts. He is a Professor of English at Three Rivers Community College in his native city of Norwich, CT and the inaugural Poet Laureate of Hartford. He is the recipient of the Nutmeg Poetry Award and the Connecticut of The Arts Fellow in Artist Excellence for Poetry/ Creative Non-Fiction. Knowles is a Pushcart Prize nominee and the author of BlackRoseCity.

     

​

​

​

​

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​

​

​

​

 

​

​

     

​

​

​

​

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​

#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.

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fall 2022 Tour

 

1.  Sunken Garden Poetry festival, Hillstead Museum, Farmington, CT 8/28  2pm

 

2.  Opioid Health Forum, Lake of Isle, Mashantucket Pequot Nation, 9/7 5:30pm

 

3.  David Leff Memorial, Centennial Park, Collinsville, CT 9/10  10am

 

4. On The Green Craft Show, Hubbard Green, Glastonbury, CT 9/10  2pm

 

5.  Hartford Lit Fest, Hartford Public Library, Hartford, CT 9/24

 

6.  Here: Lit Journal, ECSU, Willimantic, CT 9/28  4pm

 

7.  Poetry In Motion-Ballet Hartford, Oxford School, West Hartford, CT 10/8  7pm

 

8.  ECSU Lit Fest, ECSU, Willimantic, CT 10/14  10am

 

9. Wintonbury Reading Series, Wintonbury Library, Bloomfield, CT 10/20

 

10. David Leff Memorial, Canton Library, Canton, CT 10/29  2pm

​