Gabrielle David, publisher of 2Leaf Press, was honored, along with poet-impresario Bob Holman, Andrew Jackson (Queens Library), Stephen Motika (Poets House), and Prerana Reddy (Queens Museum) by outgoing Poet Laureate of Queens, Paolo Javier.
“It was a great honor for me because I had a chance to spend the day with poets, and for a change, be a poet and read my poetry,” says David. “I was especially pleased that Jesús Papoleto Meléndez and Abiodun Oyewole attended on behalf of 2Leaf Press to read and perform their poetry. I also had a chance to hang out with Bob, which is always fun, and ran across some old friends like Jon Sands, Samantha Thornhill, Urayoán Noel, John Keene, Gary Johnston, and DeeDee Halleck (who took this great picture of me). We totally enjoyed ourselves, and it was a beautiful day in Flushing Meadow Park. I thank Paolo and Audrey for creating such an innovative festival.”
ETERNiDAY: QUEENS POET LORE FESTIVAL was a day-long festival showcasing a diverse selection of poets, artists, musicians, performers, educators, and publishers from the borough and beyond. Curated by the current poet laureate of Queens, Paolo Javier, the festival, named after a term coined by the great Flushing artist Joseph Cornell, featured readings, panel discussions, musical performances, live film and video narrations, bookmaking and professional development workshops, and a book fair with some of today’s leading independent publishers of innovative literature. There was also a Poets-in-the-Gallery events throughout the day to commemorate the recent exhibits at the Queens Museum, as well as performances by the festival participants in select locations of the museum, to underscore the Queens Museum’s importance as a longtime supporter of poetry and the arts in the borough.
