New poem at Duende Literary. This poem is from an unpublished collection around experiences as a teaching artist in Detroit. Story retold with permission.

Read my poem, here.

Dear friends,

I’m thrilled to announce the pre-sale period for my new chapbook is here. Thank you to the editorial staff at Finishing Line Press and all those that helped these poems take shape. This is a limited-print run, which means if you want a copy, you should pre-order it now to guarantee it’s received. Also, as a condition of my contract with the press, a nominal amount of books need to be pre-sold in order to activate the full printing. The book will arrive in November once that number has been met. Thank you for your time and continued support. Please continue to buy books, especially from independent presses, publishers, and book stores.

– B

CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER

Fantasma
By Benjamin Alfaro
Finishing Line Press

$13.99 | Pre-Order Ships November 23, 2018

Benjamin Alfaro‘s FANTASMA is filled with ghosts. There are alternate takes, reimagined legends, and survival myths. Alfaro is a poet who knows, “the job of resurrectors is to wake up the dead.” Watch him take the ordinary bones of blue collar lives and family histories, polishing them until they reveal their many dazzling possibilities.
– José Olivarez, author of CITIZEN ILLEGAL

This video is the culminating piece of my Kresge fellowship. Thank you to the amazing team at Kresge Arts in Detroit and to The Right Brothers for putting together this beautiful snapshot into my life.

I’m excited to be the featured performer for the All Saints Literacy Center’s (ASLC) spring fundraiser. This great organization is located in Southwest Detroit and is committed to helping adults reach their educational, social and career goals by improving their ELA skills. While the event is a private event, please check out more about ASLC, here.

I had a great time reading alongside friend and colleague (and recent graduate!) Megan Stockton for the Motor Signal Reading Series.

Thank you to the great community-driven work that event organizers like Literary Detroit are doing. This was a really fun and beautiful send-off as my last Michigan show for some time. Check out some photos below!

New poem up at Blood Orange Review. Grateful to have this broken crown on sonnets live in the world. This issue has a lot of great work too, including nonfiction from one of my favorite writers, Camille Dungy.

Read my poem, here.

I’m excited to formally announce that I have accepted a position as the Development and Special Projects Assistant at the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center and will be relocating to Minneapolis at the end of the month.

While my time in Michigan has been foundational in my growth, moving to the Twin Cities will further nurture my professional, academic, and personal ambitions. I’m sad to leave but also energized by the adventure ahead.

For nearly a century, the HQB Center has been a lighthouse for the community and offers a variety of programs and critical services to the Summit-University neighborhood. They also are connected to the renowned Penumbra Theatre, where playwrights like August Wilson launched their careers.

This fall, I’ll be attending University of Minnesota to pursue a Master’s of Professional Studies in Arts and Cultural Leadership. I believe this program, designed for working professionals, will offer broad tools and strategies to increase the capacity and impact of my work.

Leaving Detroit is, in no uncertain terms, a difficult decision. This city has taught me more about the world, about my community, and about myself than anywhere else I’ve ever been. I will value these lessons, joys, and profound experiences for the rest of my life.