Alabama Poet Laureate to Speak at Eudora Welty Writers' Conference
Alabama poet laureate Ashley M. Jones will be the keynote speaker at the Eudora Welty Writers' Symposium in Columbus, Mississippi.
The symposium, taking place from Thursday to Saturday at Mississippi University for Women, is free to the public and highlights authors and poets from across the South.
About Ashley M. Jones
Jones is Alabama's first Black poet laureate, holding the post from 2022 until next year.
New Poetry Collection
She will present her new poetry collection, Lullaby for the Grieving, which is inspired by her father's death and deals with themes of grief, family, and heritage.
I hope the audience hears my humanity, and I hope they take a moment to consider how vital it is right now to hold that truth – our shared humanity – very close.
The symposium is named after Mississippi author Eudora Welty, who attended MUW, then called Mississippi State College for Women.
Author's summary: Ashley M. Jones speaks at Eudora Welty symposium.