i am the general & operations manager at a poetry organization in brooklyn aptly called Brooklyn Poets (check out what we do here: brooklynpoets.org/our-impact). we're a 501(c)3 offering accessible poetry education, events, and community.

i'm one part of a small team doing A Whole Lot of programming (like A LOT), and at the end of a looong year that included our free-to-the-public community space being robbed in october (ironically impeding our ability to assemble fundraising materials), we need some serious financial support to keep our operations going in 2025. all donations are deeply appreciated and will fund: financial aid for students, seasonal fellowships, and operational costs to keep our space open and free. if you're already down to donate, i love you & you should click the black Donate button.

if, before you donate, you want to understand why i care so much about this organization, i hear you, and i love you also, and you should read on!

really my nose was in a book since i knew what a book was, and i've been Writing Stuff Down since about that same time. no matter how old i was when we met, you probably knew i liked reading, which is not such a bad thing to be known for. i'm even sharing some photos from my personal archives here, including a review of what i think was probably the first poetry reading i ever attended, circa 2006.

fast forward to 2021 when i moved from akron to brooklyn & did not know anyone, had no creative support or honestly even a solid sense of myself in the world. i found the website of a thing called Brooklyn Poets, deduced that they'd just opened a little writing space not too far from my new apartment, and went to check it out. i even applied for a work-study internship so i could take a workshop.

it's been a few years since then, and i don't know how to say in this already-long-winded letter how much this place, and these people, have impacted me. i get to be around poets all the time doing things like hosting events, facilitating groups, and supporting our staff/volunteers which is all a true wonder & privilege. it's also a lot of admin, which isn't so bad when your coworkers are also poets, but it's still a lot of admin. beyond any of that, though, & even beyond my own growth as a poet, i have been most deeply struck by what i see reflected from the hearts of the writers with whom i share and build this community. i have watched folks gather up fragments of themselves on the page (& stage!) into words that are met with open arms of teachers, classmates, friends and even strangers. there is endless mourning and endless celebration and endless struggle and endless tenderness, and we need each other for all of it, & to survive. Brooklyn Poets is a place where people find each other and themselves. 

i know there are countless causes that need your support right now, so whatever you have to give to the world, i only ask that you give some of it to Brooklyn Poets. if you'd like to support us by buying a unique gift, we have a very cool online auction via this givebutter including signed book bundles, 1:1 poetry consultation/mentorship, and tickets to other brooklyn arts events if you're local. we're also hosting our annual Awards Gala on Saturday, December 14 and have in-person and virtual tickets available. 

we put a lot of time into showcasing our impact and launching this fundraising campaign so that we can continue in 2025, and i truly hope you choose to support the honesty, integrity, and creativity of this community. 

thank you for reading and donating, and for sharing this link. it means more to me and all these poets than you know. happy holidays—may we continue to create a world that beckons us into it.

in gratitude,

caro