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And now I'm really honored to
introduce Thomas Sayers Ellis.

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Thomas received his MFA
from Brown University.

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He's the author of "The
Maverick Room," which was

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published by Graywolf in 2005.

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His latest book of poems is
entitled "Skin Inc., Identity

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Repair Poems," also from
Graywolf, published in 2010.

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I just discovered
this morning that he

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has a brand new chapbook out.

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It's a two-in-one chapbook
published by Willow Books

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with twin titles Gone
Pop and The Helicopter.

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And Thomas brought
some of those today.

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So check out the book
table afterwards.

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Thomas's poems and
photographs have

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appeared in numerous
journals and anthologies,

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including Callaloo, Best
American Poetry, Grand Street,

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the Baffler, jubilat, Tin
House Poetry, and The Nation.

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He's an assistant
professor of writing

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at Sarah Lawrence College, a
faculty member of the Lesley

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University low-residency
MFA program,

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and he's Cave Conem
faculty member.

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He has received fellowships and
grants from the Fine Arts Work

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Center, the Ohio
Arts Council, Yaddo,

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and the MacDowell Colony.

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It seems that Thomas
had, has, and always

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will have many fascinating and
powerful projects going on.

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In 1988, he founded the
Dark Room Collective

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in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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The mission of
the collective was

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to form a community of
established and emerging

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African-American writers.

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And many of the people who were
in the Dark Room Collective

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are some of our
biggest names today.

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An exciting current project
that Thomas has going on

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is his first exhibition
of photographs,

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which are currently on
display at the Vivid Solutions

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Gallery in Washington, DC.

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This exhibit is titled
"Unlock It, Percussive

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People in the Go-Go
Pocket" and is

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a series of photographs
of the go-go music

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scene in Washington, DC.

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Tom surely has a
way with titles,

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but I'm sure you noticed that.

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If you're interested
in that photo exhibit,

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you can find out more online.

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Tonight, Thomas will
read from his work.

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And then we'll have time
for a short Q&A session.

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So please join me in
welcoming Thomas Sayers Ellis.