poetry that breathes fortification into your body (feat. Melissa Ferrer Civil)

The Line Break podcast: the place where Poet Laureates go. This month, Bob and Chris are thrilled to welcome Melissa Ferrer Civil, inaugural Poet Laureate of Kansas City, MO! Melissa reads Angel Nafis's "Ghazal For Becoming Your Own Country" as well as their own poem, "Alambrista," from the book 'Steno Pad.' Find more Melissa: https://melissaferrerand.com/ Melissa Ferrer Civil (&), (she/they), formerly known as Missy T. Ferrari, is a poet, performer, organizer, and educator living on unceded Kaw, Kansa, Kickapoo, and Oceti Sakowin lands (KCMO). Rooted in the practical and the possible, their spoken word poems and songs are mostly responses to the world around them and their own internal journey. Melissa is the founder of the arts and organizing event series A Nation In Exile. Melissa received a Bachelor’s Degree in both Creative Writing and Italian from The Florida State University. She has also received her Master’s of Education with a specialization in Urban Education from Park University. She received her M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Randolph College. She was also long listed for the Palette Poetry 2021 Emerging Poet Prize. They are a Charlotte Street Studio Resident, a Chrysalis Institute Alumnus, and a Heartlandarts KC Fellow. Melissa Ferrer Civil is the inaugural Poet Laureate of Kansas City, Missouri.