Join Black Earth Institute Fellows Jacqueline Johnson, Mariana McDonald, and Melissa Tuckey on October 1st at 7 P.M. EST for a reading celebrating the late Reuben Jackson (1956–2024).

The reading will be of Reuben’s newly released book of poems, “My Specific Awe and Wonder,” from Rootstock Publishing.
Reuben was a poet, jazz scholar, radio DJ, teacher, and music critic. He was raised in Washington, DC, went to Goddard College, and lived in Vermont and DC for many years. His legacy includes three volumes of poetry, six years hosting Vermont Public Radio’s Friday Night Jazz, countless music reviews, and curation of the Smithsonian’s Duke Ellington Collection. Reuben was also published in the About Place Journal.

The reading will be on Zoom on October 1st, 7 P.M. EST, and livestreamed to The About Place Journal YouTube channel. You can register to watch the reading here:

Jacqueline, Mariana, and Melissa are also working to create an endowment in Reuben Jackson’s name to fund a poetry prize for students via the Academy of American Poets at Howard University.
THANK YOU,