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Toni Morrison Day Celebration

Celebrating the Life, Words, and Legacy of Toni Morrison

Celebrate the life, words, and legacy of the iconic Toni Morrison with readings from local authors. Readings will begin at 1:30 PM by Vernell Bristow, DearMsStevi, Donna Marbury, and Scott Woods.

February 18th is Toni Morrison Day in Ohio. Join us in celebrating the life, words, and legacy of the iconic Toni Morrison with readings from local authors and poets. Readings will take place from 1:30-4:45 PM in the BPL Auditorium. Light refreshments and snacks will be provided by the library.

Reading Lineup:

1:30 - 2:15 - Vernell Bristow

2:20 - 3:05 - Stevi 'DearMsStevi' Knighton

3:10 - 3:55 - Donna Marbury

4:00 - 4:45 - Scott Woods

About the Readers:

Vernell Bristow is a poet and the co-founder of the popular open mic Writers’ Block Poetry Night, which ran for 24 years before sunsetting in 2022. She is a revered performance poet who participated in regional, national, and international slam poetry competitions for several years, as well as the annual Columbus Arts Festival poetry competition.

Stevi ‘DearMsStevi’ Knighton is a poet, writer, storyteller, and performer. She has hosted The Composition Poetry Night as well as many other open mic and literary events around Columbus. She writes and performs under the name DearMsStevi and has a passion for local artistic events with a focus on poetry and literary art.

Donna Marbury oversaw the creative direction and was the editor of the Art | Activism | Action book, a collaboration with Greater Columbus Arts Council and Warhol & Wall St. that captured the art and historic moment of the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement in Columbus. Donna is a storyteller, writer, and journalist who has published in Columbus Monthly, HealthTech, BizTech, Chief Legal Executive, Columbus CEO, Columbus Alive, Managed Healthcare Executive, Columbus Dispatch, Chicago Music, and AllHipHop.

Scott Woods is a poet, journalist, writer, organizer, librarian, and overall creative powerhouse. He is the author of We Over Here Now (2013, Brick Cave Books), Urban Contemporary History Month (2016, Brick Cave Books), and Prince and Little Weird Black Boy Gods (2018, Brick Cave Books). Scott has published and edited work in a variety of publications including Columbus Alive, Matter News, Columbus Dispatch and others, and has been featured multiple times in the national press, including appearances on NPR. Scott is the co-founder and MC of the late Writers’ Block Poetry Night as well as the Founder and Executive Director of The Streetlight Guild, a performing arts organization that cultivates and preserves Columbus-based culture, emphasizing underrepresented voices.

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