Danielle Legros Georges is a Haitian-born American poet, essayist and academic. She is a professor of creative writing in the Lesley University MFA Program in Creative Writing.[1] Her areas of focus include contemporary American poetry, African-American poetry, Caribbean literature and studies, literary translation, and the arts in education.[2] She is the creative editor of sx salon, a digital forum for innovative critical and creative explorations of Caribbean literature.[3]
After graduating from Emerson College with a bachelor's degree in Communication Studies, she became part of the Dark Room Collective of Black writers, and went on to earn a master's of fine arts degree in English and creative writing from New York University.[5]
She is a professor in the Creative Arts in Learning Division of Lesley University.[6]
In 2014 she was chosen as Boston's poet laureate,[4] the second person to hold the position since the first appointee, Sam Cornish, in 2008.[9][10] In this ceremonial role she was tasked with raising the status of poetry in the everyday consciousness of Bostonians, acting as an advocate for poetry, language and the arts, and creating a unique artistic legacy through public readings and civic events.[1] As laureate, she established visiting hours for Bostonians interested in discussions of poetry in branches of the Boston Public Library; created a senior writing workshop for residents of the Mount Pleasant Home and elders of the area community;[11] visited area schools; wrote occasional poems for civic events including the Mayor's State of the City addresses of 2015 and 2016, and the re-opening of the Boston Public Library's Central Branch; and collaborated with poets and poetry organizations in public art projects. As the city laureate, Legros Georges collaborated with Boston-area museums, libraries, artists and students; and represented Boston internationally at literary festivals. In a 2016 interview, she said: "I work on reflecting the vibrancy and life of the city of Boston, my commitment is to the community, and the city's diversity."[12] Her term of office as laureate ran from 2015 to 2019.[13]
Awards
Awards and accolades include:
2012: Massachusetts Cultural Council Finalist in Poetry
2013: Black Metropolis Research Consortium Fellowship/Andrew W. Mellon Grant