*These audio clips contain adults themes and may include explicit language.
WHQR is happy to announce that Elaine Cynthia Brown will join us for a poetry reading in WHQR's MC Erny Gallery on Thursday, August 25 at 6pm.
Elaine Cynthia Brown (aka) Poet E Spoken is a history teacher and a freestyle spoken word artist whose work can be seen in countless anthologies including Black Fire This Time, Joshua’s Tree, Colossus Home, Inflection, Black Rootedness, and Funny Money.
Elaine is a descendant of Joshua Halsey, one of the Wilmington massacre victims from 1898. As the youngest granddaughter of Juanita Starks, Sally and Joshua Halsey’s granddaughter who was raised by Sally, she was privileged to hear the stories of her family. In 2016, her mother Joan Starks lost all of her siblings. Elaine wanted to honor her ancestors and elders, especially her mother, so she wrote Cried Out Laughing, a book detailing the life of Joshua’s descendants. She wrote “Joshua’s Tree” for the Joshua Halsey’s Memorial service at Pine Forest Cemetery in November 2021 and will be returning to Wilmington for her Grandma Juanita’s heavenly birthday at the end of August.
This event is free and open to the public, but because space is limited, we ask that you please RSVP with your name and number of people in your party to rsvp@whqr.org.
Hear more spoken word poems by Poet E Spoken here:
