Brooklyn Poets Book Launch: Courtney Faye Taylor

Join us for the launch of poet Courtney Faye Taylor's debut poetry collection, Concentrate, on December 7 at 144 Montague St and via Zoom! In her virtuosic debut, Taylor explores the under-told history of the murder of Latasha Harlins—a fifteen-year-old Black girl killed by a Korean shop owner, Soon Ja Du, after being falsely accused of shoplifting a bottle of orange juice. Harlins's murder and the following trial, which resulted in no prison time for Du, were inciting incidents of the 1992 Los Angeles uprising and came to exemplify the long-fraught relationship between Black and Asian American communities in the United States. Through a collage-like approach to collective history and storytelling, Taylor's poems present a profound look into the insidious points at which violence originates against—and between—women of color.

Korean American poet and Brooklyn Poets teacher Eugenia Leigh will join Taylor to read from her own work and engage in a conversation about these issues. Doors will open for a wine reception at 6 PM and readings will begin at 6:30 PM. Book signing to follow.

Note that by attending this event, you agree to abide by our code of conduct and COVID-19 policy below. All in-person attendees are currently required to wear masks. Brooklyn Poets reserves the right to dismiss from our programs any participant found to be in violation of these policies. Thank you for respecting our community.

About the Authors

Courtney Faye Taylor is a writer and visual artist. She is the author of Concentrate (Graywolf Press, 2022), selected by Rachel Eliza Griffiths as the winner of the Cave Canem Poetry Prize. Courtney earned her BA from Agnes Scott College and her MFA from the University of Michigan Helen Zell Writers’ Program, where she received the Hopwood Prize in Poetry. A recipient of the 92Y Discovery Prize and an Academy of American Poets Prize, Courtney has published her work in Poetry, the Nation, Ploughshares, Best New Poets and elsewhere.

Eugenia Leigh is a Korean American poet and the author of Bianca (Four Way Books, forthcoming March 2023) and Blood, Sparrows and Sparrows (Four Way Books, 2014). Her poems and essays have appeared in numerous publications including the Nation, Ploughshares, Waxwing and the 2017 Best of the Net anthology. The recipient of Poetry's 2021 Bess Hokin Prize as well as fellowships and awards from Poets & Writers Magazine, Kundiman and others, Eugenia received her MFA from Sarah Lawrence College and serves as a poetry editor at the Adroit Journal.

Brooklyn Poets Code of Conduct

Brooklyn Poets will not tolerate any instances of discrimination, harassment or abuse in conjunction with any of our programs. Respect and consideration for others, both within and outside our programs, are core values to be upheld by all participants. Discrimination against and/or harassment of community members on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, religion, age, marital status, veteran status or any other factor is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Program participants are expected to adhere to all federal, state and local laws and regulations. Should a board or staff member, independent contractor, volunteer or program participant be found to violate any aspect of the organization’s code of conduct, Brooklyn Poets reserves the right to dismiss them from the program. Consequences may include, but not be limited to, dismissal from the current activity, suspension, ineligibility for all future activities, and/or loss of payment or fees. If you have any issues to report, please do not hesitate to contact Board President Isaac Myers III (myersiii@brooklynpoets.org), Executive Director Jason Koo (koo@brooklynpoets.org) or Development Manager renée kay (kay@brooklynpoets.org), and they will get back to you as soon as possible.

COVID-19 Policy

We are dedicated to keeping up with the latest info on COVID-19 to inform the policies we use to keep each other safe. This means they may differ from local mandates. Below is our policy for in-person workshops, events and other gatherings hosted at our space at 144 Montague Street.

All in-person attendees are currently required to wear masks. Please stay home if you are experiencing symptoms, have a positive COVID test or someone close to you has recently tested positive.

These policies are based on the current transmission level of COVID-19 in the NYC area and will remain in effect until transmission returns to low. Our understanding of transmission levels comes from the NYC COVID-19 statistics site as well as the CDC, with the knowledge that these numbers are likely underestimated due to the recent reduction in testing infrastructure.

We understand that you may be tired of taking these precautions and appreciate you taking action to protect others in your community during this time. If you are unwilling to take these precautions in our physical space, we invite you to register for our online offerings and attend our events via livestream.

While we do our best, Brooklyn Poets cannot guarantee zero risk. A risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in all public settings. By entering the building, students, teachers and other attendees accept the risk of exposure and knowingly waive and release Brooklyn Poets from any liability related to COVID-19.