All poets and the public are invited to the premiere of Black Dog Speaks, poetry at Black Dog on the Square.  Tonight's Featured poet is "TAJ" Shotwell.  The event is hosted by poet and artist Linda Marie.  Please bring poems to share.  Short songs or very short stories are welcome.  A sign-up sheet will be provided, and poets will read in the order they signed up.

Poet, author, and educator Theresa Ann James, or TAJ Shotwell, grew up in Memphis’ Historic Orange Mound, Tennessee.  Upon moving to Tallahassee, Taj joined the faculty at FAMU and became a department chair before retirement from the university.   She has written and published six non-fiction and fiction novels, short stories, and poetry, including the historical fiction Middle Child about coming of age in Memphis.  She has authored Professional Development for Pre-professionals, and a dramatic novella Maggie: Never Bitter which was adapted as a musical, and which won awards in 2016 and 2017.  Taj’s most recent book release, Family and Faith, is an inspirational memoir of fifty short stories/poems about several generations of family and friends in Memphis and her international travels. On her birthday 2019, Taj humbly received a “Memphis Living Legends Award. “  Taj currently lives in Tallahassee.  Her website is: www.tajshotwell.com

Our host at Black Dog Speaks, Linda Marie holds an MFA in painting with a minor in Women’s Studies from the University of South Florida, and a BFA from the University of Hawaii. She is a symbolist painter, writer, poet, and playwright. Linda Marie’s poetry has been published in The Texas Observer, Hawaii Review, Blue Hole, and Enigmatist among various other poetry publications. She was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Before moving to Tallahassee in 2018, she was the host of Austin Poetry Society’s monthly poetry venue for 6 years.