(HOBOKEN, NJ) -- The Hoboken Historical Museum and Poet-in-Residence Danny Shot will host a book celebration and book signing for the Jersey City Poet Laureate, Ann E. Wallace. This literary event takes place on Sunday, May 5, 2024 at the Hoboken Historical Museum. The event is free and begins at 4:00pm.
Ann’s new poetry collection is entitled Days of Grace and Silence: A Chronicle of COVID’s Long Haul (Kelsay Books, 2024). The program includes readings from Millicent “Millie” Ansah and John T. Trigonis, two wonderful poets who give so much to the creative community in Jersey City.
Ann E. Wallace, PhD is the 2023-24 Poet Laureate of Jersey City, New Jersey. As a long-time survivor of ovarian cancer, a woman with multiple sclerosis, and one of the nation's first Long Covid patients, she has lived and written through illness for more than thirty years. Pain, disability, and disease—as well as hope and resilience—have informed her work as a poet, memoirist, advocate, and scholar. Her new collection Days of Grace and Silence: A Chronicle of COVID’s Long Haul (Kelsay Books, 2024) was written over three years, beginning when Wallace was first sick with severe acute COVID and following her long journey of recovery. Wallace’s first collection Counting by Sevens was published by Main Street Rag. Wallace is co-host and co-producer of The WildStory: A Podcast of Poetry and Plants by the Native Plant Society of New Jersey and Professor of English at New Jersey City University.
Millicent Ansah, or Millie as she's affectionately known, is a force of positivity and empowerment within her community. A proud first-generation Ghanaian American hailing from Brooklyn, she had called Jersey City her home for the past ten years. She juggles multiple roles as a teacher, program coordinator, host, poet, community organizer, and curator.
For the past year, she's poured her heart into curating and hosting the beloved monthly open mic event, Mocha Mic with Millie, in Jersey City. Recognizing the need for spaces led by black women, Millie set out to create a haven of warmth and acceptance, where everyone feels like family. She fondly refers to attendees as her "tribe of scribes and good vibes," fostering an atmosphere of camaraderie and support.
At the heart of Millie's endeavors is her unwavering belief in the power of kindness to spark change and address societal injustices. She has sought to empower her community through wellness events and free children’s programming, led by the belief that one’s zip code should not limit them from community engagement, and merriment.
John T. Trigonis is a broken haiku and knight errant of the written word. With the obligatory MFA in poetry from Brooklyn College, his work has appeared in over four dozen journals that have made appearances on the bottom shelf of the Barnes & Noble newsstand.
The Hoboken Historical Museum is located at 1301 Hudson Street in Hoboken, New Jersey. The museum (est. 1986) collects and displays artifacts in themed exhibitions on Hoboken history and offers educational programs, lectures, tours and hosts films and plays. The museum is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Recent exhibits have included a focus on Hoboken’s relationship with the Hudson River and its role as a sweets producer. Other exhibits included shipping history, an anniversary of the movie “On the Waterfront,” the city’s contributions to the world of music, and its struggle and revival through the 1970s. The upper gallery space features six local artists’ work per year.
