Host Lauren chats with poet, Special Projects Manager at Providence Art, Culture & Tourism, and Reading Across Rhode Island Honorary Chair, Charlotte Abotsi about this year's RARI pick, Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez. They also discuss poetry, Providence's artsy vibe, and the impact of their high school English teachers. In the Last Chapter they answer the question: What is a poem or a line from a poem that has always stuck with you?

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Books

Let the Poets Govern: A Declaration of Freedom by Camonghne Felix

Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

The Princess of Las Vegas by Chris Bohjalian

Sex Camel by Muggs Fogarty

Media

Beef (TV Series, 2023 - )

Harvey (1950)

The Testament of Ann Lee (2025)

Poems

"Why Some People Be Mad at Me Sometimes" by Lucille Clifton

"We Real Cool" by Gwendolyn Brooks

"Our Land" by Langston Hughes

"Pretext" by Muggs Fogarty

"The Lake Isle of Innisfree" by W.B. Yeats