Talicha J. - Writing Workshop - Black & Golden Shovels 4-26-25

Location: ArtsXchange | Charles Jikki Riley Library

Black & Golden Shovels: An Homage to Form in Black Poetics

This workshop invites participants to explore the Golden Shovel form through the work of Black poets, including Patricia Smith, Jae Nichelle, Taylor Byas, and others. Together, we’ll engage in meaningful discussions about the form, rooted in close reading and creative experimentation. Participants will receive a curated workshop packet that includes Talicha J.'s Golden Shovel Form Worksheet and Close Reading Guide, offering tools to deepen their connection to the form and inspire their own writing. This workshop provides a welcoming space to learn, reflect, and write in community.

ABOUT

Talicha J. is a Black queer poet and teaching artist, nominated three times for the Pushcart Prize. She was a 2024 Collaborating Fellow who now serves as the Curriculum Coordinator at The Poetry Lab, and she’s performed across the U.S. with the Respect Da Mic and Art Amok slam teams. Her debut collection, Falling in Love with Picking Myself Up (2015), led to a national tour and helped grow her presence as a poet.

In June 2024, Talicha released her chapbook, Taking Back the Body, which won the Beyond the Veil Press chapbook contest. Alongside her work, she curates writing and editing sprints, leads online generative workshops, and hosts a monthly publication submission space. Her work has appeared in Plenitude, Fahmidan, Peach Fuzz, Lucky Jefferson, Just Femme and Dandy, Button Poetry, and more.