Frank X Walker, Kelly Norman Ellis, Nikky Finney, Parneshia Jones

Frank X Walker coined the term Affrilachian to describe the third space of Blackness in Appalachia and “to create a sense of place that had not existed for us.” Join us to celebrate the new folio in the January/February issue of Poetry magazine, “Frank X Walker: Kinfolk,” which features a sampling of X’s poems from the last three decades and essays highlighting his influence and community. 

X’s fellow readers hail from the Affrilachian Poets Collective, including visiting poet Nikky Finney and Chicago poets Kelly Norman Ellis and Parneshia Jones. Witness an artistic community “beholden to each other: bonded to place and people,” as Kelly Norman Lewis describes X’s workshops and gatherings.

This event is part of the Poetry Foundation’s spring 2026 season, No One Can Afford To Lose Love.

Additional Information

• All Poetry Foundation events are completely free of charge and open to the public.
• Advanced registration is encouraged.
• The performance space is ADA-compliant and wheelchair-accessible.
• The program will feature CART captioning and ASL interpretation.
• For more information about accessibility at the Poetry Foundation, please visit our Accessibility Guide.